


Offset

by BrassGrass



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi is not evil incarnate, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coffee Dad Sojiro, Eventual romantic fluff, F/M, Haru is a badass, I haven't done this in years please be kind, I'm saying it's going to take a while, M/M, Multi, Sassy Akira, Slow Burn, and the focus isn't romance anyway, little sister Futaba, no beta we die like men, not for a while though, really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-05-15 23:07:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 57,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrassGrass/pseuds/BrassGrass
Summary: He's going to run out the clock on this stupid probation without rocking any boats. The phantom thieves thing is none of his business. The cat in Takamaki's desk isn't bothering anyone and he's not a snitch. The inquisitive looks the detective prince gives him are nothing to worry about. The blue glow he sees out of the corner of his eye is just some odd trick of the light. Probably just his new glasses.None of this concerns him.So why are his classmates following him?





	1. Starting the Countdown

 

Tokyo, Akira decided, was a nightmare.  
  
Arguably, this could have turned out much worse than a short stint in juvvie and a year of probation. But at the moment it was difficult to think up a worse alternative than total exile from his home, family, and otherwise familiar surroundings.  
  
His stepmother stopped answering any of his phone calls or voice mails. He wasn't about to attempt to talk to his father after the blowup that was their last conversation.

His temporary Tokyo guardian wasn't cruel, but he also was not what Akira would consider as kind seeing as how Akira's bedroom was a dusty, cluttered storage room above a coffee shop with a stack of ancient futons. The curry and coffee were excellent but he could do without the snide remarks.  
  
"Oh, so you're actually going to school?" Sojiro Sakura had asked on the first day as Akira came downstairs dressed as neatly as he could manage. The teen hadn't known how to respond, still not used to being treated with hostility and disdain by default. He'd been a fairly well liked if quiet member of his class.  
  
He proceeded on his way to school crammed like a sardine into the shockingly loud subway system. The same system that had a lethal rail incident not 24 hours before. If he hugged his bag a little closer to his chest on the ride over, no one was around to notice.  
  
Things didn't improve once he made it to Shujin Academy. He'd almost made friends with a very pretty blond girl, Takamaki, before she realized that he was that guy--the delinquent involved in the latest school rumors. Their walk to school sharing his umbrella was awkwardly silent after that. She made up some excuse and left, but by then he wasn't listening to her. He was too busy trying to keep a cool head despite all the poorly concealed looks and loud whispers dogging his steps to the faculty office.  
  
After three long weeks Akira was still very obviously the subject of rude murmurings and side eyes among his peers.  
  
Get a question wrong in class? It was typical, what do you expect from a person like him?  
  
Sitting alone at his desk during lunch? Like anyone would want to get near him.  
  
Need a book at the library? There was a school-wide policy that restricts students to only one book checkout at a time. Never mind the first year who left with a stack of three immediately in front of him in line.  
  
He found himself up on the deserted roof at lunchtime in the first week. Except for some spare desks and the beginnings of a garden, the roof was empty and afforded him a brief midday reprieve from the chaos. More than once he entertained the idea of skipping his afternoon classes but he didn't want to find out what his temporary guardian slash parole officer would do if Akira began to act as the delinquent he was accused of being.  
  
The quiet time roof was just enough to recharge his batteries and help him get through the rest of his classes. A friendly stray cat stopped by a couple times and would keep him company if he shared the tuna out of his convenience store rice balls.  
  
He could do this. One year of not rocking the boat and keeping his head down.  
  
Pretending not to hear what his classmates said about him.  
  
Passively letting his instructors talk about how much trouble he was just by existing.  
  
Looking the other way and ignoring the anxiety in the pit of his stomach whenever Akira crossed paths with the volley ball coach that clearly made a number of his classmates uncomfortable.  
  
On one occasion Akira had imagined that Kamoshida's eyes had flashed a wolfish yellow for just a moment before returning to normal, as if the man was looking for the weakest member of the herd of Shujin students.  
  
It wasn't the only time he saw something that wasn't there. Sometimes he'd see flashes of blue out of the corner of his eye on his commute. On one notable occasion he spotted a butterfly perched on the shaggy brown hair of a boy about his age on the subway. He did a double take which caught the other boy's attention. Akira felt a shiver crawl up his spine as they made eye contact. It was over a moment as the boy's train arrived and he walked away. There was no butterfly that he could see as he studied the other teen's retreating back.  
  
Akira convinced himself it was a trick of the light off of his glasses combined with the stress of his new environment.  
  
Beside seeing things, he'd been having an odd reoccurring dream about being held within a blue prison. His jailer was an old man with an extraordinarily long nose who didn't speak to him much after the first dream where Akira refused whatever the man meant by "rehabilitation". Now instead of talking all the man seemed to do was laugh and make cryptic comments. The symbolism of the prison was easy, but no online dream dictionary could tell him what the old man or the two child wardens meant.  
  
Sojiro usually made him breakfast (always curry and rice, but hey--it was free) but did little else beyond remind Akira to stay out of trouble. His parents had only replied to one of his text messages and only to tell him that he would have to get a part-time job for food money. Their every spare yen was apparently still going towards legal fees incurred after The Incident.  
  
He ended up as a part-timer at a florist's shop in Shibuya, which was conveniently located on the subway stop between Yongen-Jaya and Aoyama-Itchome. The pay wasn't amazing but the owner let him work several days a week and the work was relaxing. It was rare for him to see anyone in the Shujin uniform down in the mall which suited him just fine. High school students weren't what he'd call frequent customers of florists so it became somewhat of a haven.  
  
It made Akira feel pathetic when he realized that he was looking forward to his shifts in large part because it was the only place he expected to be treated with any amount of kindness, or at least indifference.  
  
He saw the boy with shaggy hair again as he picked up an order of condolence flowers one afternoon. Thankfully, he was butterfly-free.  
  
Three weeks down and roughly 49 more to go. He could do this.  
  
He could.  


* * *

  
  
After it was clear that Akira didn't have plans of burning down the cafe at night or otherwise causing a ruckus, Sojiro lightened up a little and started roping Akira into helping in the cafe. He wasn't paid but the barista experience he was getting could go a long way towards helping him support himself in the near future. At this point he was certain that his father would kick him out as soon as he graduated high school. Best to plan ahead.  
  
Sojiro was a lot less prickly when talking about coffee, which was obviously a passion of his. One evening Sojiro had even called Akira's pour over "acceptable, for a rookie" (which he took as the high praise it seemed to be). Sojiro even gave him helpful tips about how to put on a "customer service" face for Leblanc's patrons. Never get involved in any serious subjects. If anyone asks for advice, keep it vague but friendly.

  
Life at school was somewhat monotonous, but it had its interesting moments.  
  
The visiting stray cat on the roof disappeared and then reappeared in Takamaki's desk of all places. He seemed content to nap all day inside her desk and _no one seemed to notice._  
  
One morning a school assembly was called out of the blue. The volleyball coach confessed to crimes of abuse of students and even sexual assault of multiple girls including the one that had jumped off the roof a couple weeks prior.  
  
Akira didn't think much of it until he was getting himself a Second Maid from the courtyard's vending machines. As he rounded the corner he heard an excited boy's voice.  
  
"Aw man, he confessed to everything! You weren't kidding about changing his heart!"  
  
Takamaki's cat (now sporting a fashionable bandanna around his neck) spotted Akira first and let out a soft yowl at either him or the loud blonde boy that had his back to Akira. Takamaki was sitting at one of the tables and froze. The loud boy turned around and flinched when he saw Akira standing there.  
  
_Really?_  
  
Deciding to be steadfastly unperturbed, Akira put his coins in the nearest machine as three pairs of eyes monitored his every move. He casually opened his beverage and took a sip before walking off. He could hear Takamaki hissing something at the boy angrily as he left. He mimed a toast at the student council president around the next corner as she took time out of her busy day eavesdropping to glare at Akira as he strolled past.  
  
The volleyball coach was gone. Maybe Takamaki had finally acquired sufficient blackmail material or something. Phantom Thieves indeed. Good riddance and none of his concern.

 

* * *

  
  
Life fell into a sort of rhythm. Go to school, ignore the murmurings, eat his lunch on the roof (if he'd had enough cash to get both lunch and dinner that day), head back to Leblanc to change, go to work if either the florist or Sojiro would have him, homework, and bed. He'd done more leisure reading in the first month of his stay than he'd remember doing for years.  
  
Dinner was usually a cup of noodles or a convenience store bento. Akira knew he was allowed to use the stove to heat water but didn't want to chance dirtying up Leblanc's kitchen or asking for fridge space. For all he knew it would disturb the uneasy truce between him and his warden. It wasn't like he had the energy or desire to learn to cook anyway.  
  
He entertained the idea of picking up a second part time job but that was quickly ruled out when he realized the workers at the Triple Seven in Shibuya were following him around the store as if they expected him to shoplift. One of their stockers was familiar and probably a Shujin student from the wary looks he was receiving. It was a similar situation the beef bowl shop. He spotted one of his peers having an intense private conversation with the manager and then after one shift (which he thought had gone well) Akira was asked to not come back.

 

* * *

  
  
On the Monday following Golden Week Akira walked out onto the roof to see that the space had been transformed. The school garden club had definitely been hard at work that day moving planters and soil around. They'd even piled up the spare classroom furniture against a wall to make more room for their things.  
  
The roof remained deserted at lunchtime as it had in the previous weeks so he just picked a different corner to settle down and enjoy his lunch and book.  
  
Little plant seedlings showed up in the next few days and Akira noted over time that some were doing much better than others. One particularly stunted and crooked tomato plant began to thrive...eventually. He hadn't realized how invested he was a spectator until he arrived on one particularly blustery day to see that the wind and some trash had knocked over the struggling tomato plant.  
  
He didn't know if the garden club met that day (and had no idea who was in it) and he'd hate to see the underdog tomato plant die overnight so he set it back up and made a plant cage out of some twine and bamboo stakes he found laying around. It ended up lopsided but securely planted and would probably be fine until someone else happened by.  
  
Four and a half weeks down. Far too many to go.


	2. Plants, Thieves, and Hell Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira makes a friend and acquires some stalkers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed some dates in chapter 1 to fit in with my time line. The last chapter now ends on Monday May 9th, one week after the Kamoshida confession.

After school on Tuesday Kawamaki caught him before he left and asked him to visit the student council room about a missing item. Akira drug himself up to the third floor and poked his head in to see the student council president herself waiting for him.  
  
"Oh!" Nijima stiffened in surprise but quickly schooled her features and posture to be all business. "You're earlier than I expected. Please have a seat." She gestured open-palmed to the empty chair across from her.  
  
Akira sat down, impatiently waiting for her to inform him of doing whatever it was that he was accused of doing now.  
  
"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here today, Kurusu-kun. I've been tasked with visiting with members of the student body regarding the recent...unpleasantness...with Mr. Kamoshida. You see, there are all kinds of rumors buzzing around the school about who could have forced him to confess."  
  
She paused as if expecting a reaction. Akira had nothing to say and just waited for her to continue while glaring steadily back at her suspicious look. He hoped this wasn't going where he thought it was.  
  
"Well?" She demanded, "What do you know about the Phantom Thieves, Kurusu-kun?"  
  
Now he was a Phantom Thief as well as a bully and a violent delinquent? He certainly got around.  
  
"I don't know what you want me to say, Nijima-san." he answered tonelessly. "It sounds like someone had blackmail material on the volleyball coach and got him to confess to his crimes. I haven't been paying much attention to the school drama. I'm still settling in to a new routine in a new city."  
  
Nijima attempted to stare him down in silence. A year ago this might have made him a little nervous. Today he met her gaze with his blandest expression and nothing else. He was almost numb to the disapproval and suspicion from his classmates. And he didn't know anything in the first place. Not really.  
  
"Was that all? I need to get going soon." He tried, reaching for his bag and shifting in his seat as if to rise.  
  
"Well--" his movement startled a reaction from Nijima. She lifted one hand as if to stop him but then stopped herself abruptly. "What about the discussion I heard you having with Sakamoto and Takamaki?" She attempted, now too flustered to be at all intimidating.  
  
It seemed she had zero evidence and was shooting in the dark trying to coax a reaction--or even a confession--out of him.  
  
Akira was hungry and wanted to get something to eat before his shift.  
  
"What Takamaki and her friend do is none of my business. We have only talked to each other once on my first day here. She's avoided even looking at me ever since she realized who I was. I didn't even know Sakamoto's name until just now. The loud blonde guy, right?"  
  
She nodded once, surprised. Nijima had clearly been listening to rumors and hearsay. And after seeing him in the presence of the other two students the previous week he was under suspicion.  Maybe he was seen as the easiest target because she thought she could hold his previous record over his head to get him to confess.  
  
Akira had his own idle suspicions but wasn't about to get involved. Takamaki and Sakamoto were probably involved in whatever happened and seemed to be doing it for the right reasons. It was none of his business, but...  
  
"They were probably talking about the notes that were all over the bulletin boards in the hall that week. People gossip," he shrugged. "Maybe if you go eavesdropping again you'll figure out if they're up to something. I don't care and I'm leaving before I'm late to work. Good luck."  
  
This time he didn't wait for her permission or dismissal. He just slung his bag over his shoulder and left. Nijima didn't bother calling him back.

 

* * *

  
  
Akira didn't hear a word from Nijima or Kawamaki the next morning so he assumed he was off the hook.  
  
He was in the middle of his lunch and the thickening plot of his mystery novel when he was interrupted by a soft voice.  
  
"Umm..."  
  
Akira's head snapped up so quickly that it was a miracle he didn't get whiplash. Nervously looking down at him was a girl with curly brown hair, wide brown eyes, and a pink cardigan. She shifted from foot to foot while clutching a watering can. Clearly she was a member of the mysteriously absent garden club.  
  
Despite his reputation he wasn't in the habit of intentionally making girls uncomfortable. He began to gather his lunch things and blurted out an apology.  
  
"I'll leave. Sorry." He could back to the classroom for lunch. No need to hang around and menacingly read library books on the roof.  
  
"No!" She exclaimed, making Akira pause and give her a second look. She wasn't afraid, really. Not angry, either. Maybe just uncertain?  
  
"You...You eat lunch here every day, don't you?" She asked, growing more confident at Akira's nod of confirmation. "Did you fix the tomato plant last week?"  
  
"...Yeah." It seemed safe enough to answer, seeing as how the plant in question was still alive and maybe even a little perkier than before. "It fell over."  
  
The girl nodded to herself decisively and he could have sworn he saw a spark in her eyes. Her bearing changed from timid to determined in a second.  
  
"Are you interested in plants, Kurusu-kun? The garden club could use more members and I'm certain you already have a knack for it."  
  
Akira was stunned. Then confused. And despite himself, a little curious. The girl seemed utterly genuine and was patiently waiting for his response with a smile. Her expression fell a little as he took a moment too long to answer.  
  
"I--Me?"  He realized his hands had frozen in the middle of packing his lunch up. He set it down again. "Are you sure? I don't think the other members will be happy to have me around."  
  
"Don't concern yourself with them." she insisted, shaking her head. "What would _you_ like to do, Kurusu-kun?"  
  
"Okay. I can help. Is there some kind of orientation or introduction? Who are the members?"  
  
"Well...Now that you've joined, it's just us two." she answered brightly. "Haru Okumura. Pleased to make your acquaintance."  
  
"Oh." He thought for a moment. "Did I just sign up to do all the heavy lifting or something?"  
  
To his surprise she giggled at his half-serious joke.  
  
Garden club it was, then.  
  


* * *

  
  
Haru Okumura was a third year and founded the garden club in March. She was a total novice in horticulture and was learning as she went along.  
  
They had their first official club meeting after school. After a tour of the garden (while watering) they started chatting while prepping a bed of soil for some daikon seeds.  
  
"I already know how to play piano, and I don’t enjoy sports. And the photography club was full. I decided to create my own club involving something I wanted to learn about." She explained as they turned over the soil. "There's something wonderful about growing your own vegetables and then eating them with a full appreciation of the work and dedication it took to get them to your plate."  
  
"Have you ever grown your own vegetables before?"  
  
"Well, no, but I suppose there's a first time for everything. Have you ever grown anything, Kurusu-kun?"  
  
"I propped up a tomato plant once when it fell over" he replied cheekily, and Okumura laughed.  
  
"I suppose we'll learn together. What else would you like to grow?"  
  
"I've been working in a cafe lately--maybe a coffee plant? I'm told the soil and the atmosphere have a lot to do with how the coffee beans turn out."  
  
"Are you a barista?" She asked, lighting up. At his nod she said "I believe growing and roasting our own coffee will be quite the informative experience! What an exciting idea!"  
  
She caught his look of surprise and she explained a bit more. "My grandfather once owned a cafe. It wasn't the most profitable of establishments but it was a local institution while it was open."  
  
They continued to chat for a while even after they had finished their planting.   
  
It was nice to be treated like a human again. Akira felt lighter than he had in ages.

 

* * *

  
  
After gardening club on the next Saturday Akira skirted a small congregation of unfamiliar people next to the school gates. He caught murmurings of Principal Kobayakawa's name as he passed. Perhaps some new facts about the Kamoshida scandal had come to light? He was sure the story would be all over the school the following morning.  
  
"Hey, kid!" someone called out to Akira a block later. He glanced over to see a woman wearing a T-shirt and jeans with an expensive looking camera hung around her neck. He frowned at her as he continued to walk. He did not want to be hassled by tabloid paparazzi.  
  
"Oh, come on! Just for a second." She appealed, speed-walking to catch up to him. "I won't even write anything down."  
  
With a short sigh, he halted. "May I help you?" he asked, as politely as he could manage. From her reaction, it seemed he managed to be just short of hostile.  
  
"Woah! Ouch." she replied with an arched eyebrow. "I don't actually mean any harm. If it bothers you that much I'll leave you alone."  
  
Feeling a twinge of shame, Akira paused to truly consider the reporter before him. She just saw another student. He didn't need to go out of his way to alienate people. He tried again, rubbing the back of his neck as he felt his cheeks heat up.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's been a rough week. What can I do for you?"  
  
She smiled, accepting his apology instantly. "I'm poking around looking for information about the Shujin Academy  principal. Rumor has it that he skipped the country last night over the volleyball coach scandal. But from what I've heard about him he was prepared to ride out the PR storm. Either something changed...or he did."  
  
"You think someone stole his heart? That's just an outrageous rumor. The student here tend to..." he cast around for an inoffensive word. "...exaggerate."  
  
"Not a believer? A substantial portion of the student body seems to have fully embraced belief in the Phantom Thieves. Their forum is already full of requests and a few polls about who their next target should be."  
  
"A website?" Well that was audacious. Maybe it wasn't a one-time thing. Or he was wrong and this had never involved Takamaki and Sakamoto at all.  
  
The reporter seemed to take his curious question as more encouragement. She pulled out her phone and showed him the stylish red-and-black themed "Phan-Site".  
  
"Most posts are really out there but some are serious. There's one guy most everyone can agree on as a target. 'Kurusu the delinquent'. You know that--Hey, what did I say?"  
  
He had taken a step back without realizing. She couldn't have known, right?  
  
"They also like to exaggerate about--the delinquent. He hasn't caused any trouble since he got here." He replied, hoping his poker face had finally engaged.  
  
No such luck.  
  
"So you do you know him? Or--oh. OH." her eyes widened in surprise. She looked him over again, warier than only moments ago.  
  
He defensively held up his hands and backed up another couple of steps. "I don't...know anything. Sorry."  
  
"Aw kid, wait. I'm sorry." she deflated with a grimace." You had just said--Ah." She fumbled on the back of her phone case for a second. "Here, at least take my card." She held it out without coming any closer to him "Please?"  
  
He slowly reached over and took it, feeling like he was making another mistake by not immediately booking to the train home. He inclined his head in acknowledgment and attempted to look at least a little dignified as he turned to walk to the station.  
  
Once he was on the right train and finally on the way to Yongen-Jaya he reached in his pocket and examined the business card of Ohya Ichiko, investigative reporter.  
  
Sojiro was in a mood when Akira arrived so he immediately escaped upstairs for the evening.

 

* * *

  
  
He woke up as a prisoner in the blue room again with his arms and legs chained. He didn't bother getting up. Instead, he chose to stare at the ceiling petulantly.  
  
Lucid dreaming wasn't what he'd call fun, but at least he wasn't experiencing sleep paralysis. Small blessings.  
  
"It seems the game was over before it even began." The long nosed man mused from somewhere outside of the cell. "A pity."  
  
Something was missing. Where were the girls that hit the bars with their night sticks and belittled him?  
  
He picked up his head briefly to peer through the bars. The girls were silently standing on either side of the cell's entrance, facing one another. From his vantage point he could see that the one with the braid was slumped with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed above her eye patch.  
  
The other one, the one with the baton and buns, had her one golden eye open and staring at him without blinking. She did not react when he met her gaze except to narrow her eye slightly.  
  
Akira let his head drop back down to the surface of the hard cot and wondered what she wanted.  
  
Eventually the dream ended and he and woke up the next morning feeling like he hadn't slept at all. Well, at least it was Sunday.

  
He picked up a shift that afternoon at the flower shop to get out of the cafe for a while. Sojiro had been grumbling about Akira drinking coffee and loitering all day.

  
The teen didn't argue or try to defend himself. He wasn't even sure Sojiro's ire was real or just out of habit. He noted that he wasn't the only one who looked like they'd had a rough night.

 

* * *

  
  
On Monday it was revealed to the school that the principal had resigned although his exit was nowhere near as dramatic as Kamoshida's. According to his resignation letter Kobayakawa had been ignoring Kamoshida's misdeeds for years.  
  
The student body didn't seem as disturbed at this revelation as they had the first one. The Phantom Thieves were credited for "taking Kobayakawa down" by about half of the people he heard murmuring in the halls and the library.  
  
Unfortunately this drama brought reporters en masse back to the streets of Aoyama-Itchtome. Another assembly was called to warn the students--once again--to not say anything unnecessary.  
  
There was no word on who would stand in for the missing principal, or even mention of a replacement.  
  
He stopped by the roof briefly after school to find Okumura talking to Takamaki's cat (now sporting a red bandanna) who was grooming himself and ignoring Okumura's chatter.  
  
"Oh! Hello, Kurusu-kun! We have a visitor today."  
  
"Yeah, he belongs to one of my classmates. She sneaks him in to school in her bag. He's a chill guy."  
  
The chill guy purred and allowed Akira to scratch his chin.  
  
"He goes to class?" Okumura paused in her inspection of their newly sprouted summer squash seedlings to stare at him incredulously.  
  
Akira shrugged. "He naps in her desk all day. I sit behind her and I don't think anyone else has noticed him. No one has reported him at least. People ignore a lot around here. Or maybe it's a big city thing."  
  
"Hmm." Okumura responded thoughtfully. "I have noticed that a number of people seem to be unusually wrapped up in their own lives. Perhaps the school's culture will change for the better now that the principal and that coach have left."  
  
Akira grinned at her. "What a diplomatic way to call a bunch of people self-absorbed."  
  
"Oh, don't be so pessimistic. You never know what people are facing in their private lives. They could all be doing their best."  
  
"I'll let you handle the optimism. I think mine's broken."  
  
She watched him in silence while he scratched the ears of a happy cat.  
  
It was the closest they'd come to a serious conversation so far. They mostly kept to light topics.  
  
Usually when they tread upon touchy conversational topics one of them would quickly change the subject. Things like family, college, plans after high school, or how Akira ended up in Tokyo.  
  
He knew Okumura wanted to own a restaurant one day but he didn't know if she planned to go to college for any kind of business management degree. She had mentioned a fiancee only once. He never pressed for details and she didn't volunteer them.  
  
In turn, she did the same. She never asked about his criminal history though he was sure she was curious. She knew he worked in a cafe owned by his temporary guardian. She knew he was currently enjoying a mountain of leisure reading. She'd been delighted to learn that he created floral arrangements at his part-time job. She even lent him a book about flower meanings that had unexpectedly helped him earn a little extra pocket money.  
  
"It will get better, Akira-kun." she finally replied, going back to her seedling inspection. Now it was his turn to look up in surprise. He must have been brooding.  
  
"I--" he stopped his knee jerk response to retort with self depreciating humor. Instead he allowed himself to indulge in a little hope. "Yeah."  
  
Takamaki's cat headbutted his hand to demand more chin scratches.

 

* * *

  
  
Days later, Akira was having trouble focusing in class due to what was probably a developing cold. He didn't feel terrible but he'd still rather be in his quiet attic room napping than surrounded by all of the unfriendly faces at school.  
  
Takamaki's cat was back to lounging in her desk. Today he was positioned so that Akira would occasionally look up and see the cat's large blue eyes staring back at him. All cats seemed like they were always plotting something to Akira, but this one seemed particularly thoughtful as they scrutinized one another. He was probably planning on how to get Akira to share more of his lunch.  
  
He was jolted out of his thoughts by a teacher calling on him. Most of the class tittered when he answered incorrectly. Takamaki's cat yawned.  
  
On the way to work after school he noticed what looked like a friendly conversation taking place between Takamaki and Nijima outside of Shibuya station. If they were getting along, then maybe Nijima would no longer feel the need to grill him for information.  
  
Sakamoto was standing casually outside of the Arcade as he strolled past. It was unusual to spot so many of his classmates in Shibuya all at once but he didn't pay it much thought until he was at settled in at work caught a glimpse of blue in his peripheral vision.  
  
Twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern, he thought with a frown as he looked up and spotted Nijima not-so-surreptitiously pretending to read a tabloid magazine. He decided to ignore her as he continued to unpack the small selection of decorative flower vases. As he finished up his boss called him over to handle a customer.  
  
The customer turned out to be a familiar face. The boy with the shaggy brown hair, but this time without any butterflies clinging to his head.  
  
"Hello! How can I help you?" Akira shifted his full attention over to the boy. It was unusual for people close to his age to purchase bouquets.  
  
"Ah, hello. I was hoping you could help me with a puzzle I'm trying to solve." The boy smiled politely, but without any warmth.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure how I can help but I'll give it a try. What kind of puzzle?"  
  
The boy pulled out a notepad from his jacket pocket and presented it to Akira. There were several detailed pencil drawings of flowers on the page. The boy pointed to one in the upper left of the page.  
  
"Could you help me identify this flower? It seems familiar but I admit this is outside my area of expertise." The boy smiled in a mildly humorous self-deprecating fashion, and Akira smiled hesitantly back.  
  
"Well, I'll need to look it up to be sure, but I think it's a geranium." He picked up a nearby flower catalog and thumbed through it. "It's a very good drawing, did you do that yourself?"  
  
"I am no artist, but thank you. Yes, I drew it since I was unable to photograph it at the time."  
  
"Here we go. Does this look like your mystery flower?" He turned the catalog around to show the boy some examples.  
  
"Ah! Indeed it does. A bright red one not unlike this one here."  he tapped the page twice and wrote down the name of the flower under its depiction in his notebook.  
  
"Uh...I hope this wasn't a bouquet you received, because someone might be playing a prank."  
  
"Oh?" the boy said, with a note of surprise.  
  
"Well, from what I can identify from your drawings..." Akira privately hoped he wasn't making an ass of himself by mentioning this "...it looks like a bouquet someone might make as an insult."  
  
"A gift of flowers as an insult? How interesting." The boy thoughtfully stroked his chin for a moment, eyes a little harder than moments before.  
  
"I-I could be reading too much into it. Maybe they just liked the look of the flowers?" Akira tried to backtrack, hoping the boy wouldn't ask what the flowers meant. He didn't think his boss would like it if her employee started to explain that someone thought one of her customers was stupid and angry.  
  
"Hmm." The boy's polite smile was back. "Thank you very much...ah,"  
  
"Akira Kurusu."  
  
"Kurusu-san." he bowed slightly. "I will be taking my leave. Thank you for your assistance!"  
  
Akira watched the boy leave and tried to see if he could catch a hint of blue glow from somewhere around the boy. He was broken out of his observation when Sakamoto casually strolled by the florist for the third time that day.  
  
The reporter said he was first in the Phan-Site's rankings. Was Nijima a Phantom Thief now? They were in for some serious disappointment if they were investigating Akira for blackmail material.  
  
After his shift, he decided to take a more circuitous route back to the cafe. He meandered into the book store up on the street level first. It just so happened that Takamaki suddenly needed a book too.  
  
Akira then looked in on the discount shop at the end of the street. Sakamoto was there soon after to poke around at the eclectic collection of odds and ends two aisles over.  
  
Maybe it was aggravation or just plain boredom that made him do it, but Akira decided that if his schoolmates wanted to stick their nose in his business he wouldn't make it easy.  
  
He disappeared back into the stairwell that led to the underground mall, made a sharp right, and then quickly ducked into the next bathroom he saw.  
  
As he was peeking around a corner to make sure his stalkers had lost track of him, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He wasn't expecting any messages or calls. His parents hadn't spoken to him in over a month and he just finished his shift at the florist so it was unlikely to be his boss asking him to come in.  
  
After one last glance down the corridor he pulled out his phone. The spam app was back with a vengeance. This time it was open and seemed to be running some kind of search.  
  
It loaded one result and announced out loud.  
  
"Match found: Mementos."  
  
Could it be a viral ad campaign? Or maybe it was one of those apps that hijacked the microphone and loaded targeted ads.  
  
He stepped out into the crowd of commuters and headed for the usual train to Yongen-Jaya. As he walked, he tried to get the app to close so he could access his phone settings. There had to be a way to turn it off even if he couldn't uninstall it. Maybe he should restore his phone to factory settings or something in case it was a virus.  
  
As he continued to contemplate phone repair, the air around him suddenly _shimmered_ and he felt a wave of unexpected nausea. He closed his eyes and held still as the feeling passed.  
  
His eyes shot open again a moment later when he realized the world had gone silent and still around him.  
  
Either the weird cold medicine from Dr. Takemi was making his hallucinations worse, or he had somehow walked through a portal into Hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments! The response to this has been unexpected and amazing!


	3. An Unexpected Chain of Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira visits the Metaverse

He glanced down at his phone again. The app was calling itself the "Meta-Nav", whatever that was supposed to mean. A map on the screen showed him his alleged location.  
  
_Mementos - Entrance_  
  
He walked through the broken turnstiles and down the inactive escalator, examining the area as he went.    
  
It was as if the walls of the underground had aged a hundred years in seconds. None of the electric lighting overhead was working and yet there was light. Dim illumination from nowhere that faded into a murky darkness. It reached past the platform, down the tracks, and into the aged, dilapidated tunnels that lead to the rest of the vast network of passages under Tokyo.  
  
It would have been merely unsettling if it weren't for the veiny, dark, pulsing masses of flesh clinging to the walls and floors. They dotted the passages before him with irregular frequency. If he had to guess, Akira would say that these masses were the source of the faint coppery scent in the air that coated the back of his tongue and throat as he breathed in.  
  
If he wasn't dreaming then his intermittent hallucinations had suddenly gotten a lot worse. Hopefully he wasn't having a seizure or in a coma in real life caused by Dr. Takemi's odd cough syrup. Sojiro said she was legitimate but...  
  
This appeared to be an alternate version of the subway system under the city. It was a crumbling, abandoned ruin. The only sound was a faint breeze of air as it moved through the tunnels. No rush or clack of trains, no screech of brakes. It was barren and still--except for a lone spot of light floating and bobbing in the black far beyond the ring of light surrounding him.  
  
Despite reason and wisdom, he was curious. He'd never been able to explore his crazy dreams before.  
  
He slowly eased himself down from the platform to the tracks, holding his breath to listen for trains. His subconscious probably picked the train station because of his persistent dislike of the subway. He was always just a little anxious about being the next victim of a train accident. Best to be extra careful about traffic even in a dream, lucid or not.  
  
Assured that he wasn't about to be run over, Akira picked his way between the tracks, slowly headed towards the bobbing light.  
  
The atmosphere here set him on edge and made his skin crawl. Even the sounds were off. The noise  of his breath was drowned out by his pounding heart. The occasional scrape his shoes made on the tracks sounded as if it was much further away than it should have been. Instinct told him to turn around and leave.  
  
But now that he was here, surely it wouldn't hurt just to have a peek? He'd never come to harm in the Velvet Room--probably because his subconscious wasn't that cruel.  
  
He heard faint, childish giggles and froze.  
  
"Hello?" Akira called, the sound of his voice unexpectedly flat and muted.  
  
He heard another distant laugh, this time more of a cackle. The faint source of light ahead of him revealed itself to be a lantern.  It continued to bob along unsteadily, eventually revealing its owner--someone (or something?) wearing a Jack o' Lantern mask.  
  
Akira didn't get more than a quick look before the lantern-wielder vanished around a corner and took the eerie red-yellow glow of light with it.  
  
Akira got as far as the first fork in the railway before his courage failed him. The tunnels stretched on and on, eventually turning out of sight into parts unknown.  It seemed unwise to tempt fate by proceeding further.  
  
He retreated, carefully retracing his steps in the semi-darkness.  
  
He paused and turned back around as he heard a distant boom echo through the passageway. Dust was shaken from the ceiling above and fell around him.  
  
He stood still for a minute, then two, listening to the wind rushing through the underground and his own quick breaths and pounding heart.  
  
Just as he decided to continue on, he heard a faint metallic tinkle of chains being shifted--or perhaps dragged--along the uneven floor.  
  
**_Rattle rattle..._**  
  
The second time was _much_ louder. Whatever it was making the sound was on the move and headed his way.  
  
_Yes, that's enough time in the haunted subway. Time to leave._  
  
He about-faced so fast he nearly tripped over his feet, then sprinted for the exit stairs.  
  
He didn't make it.  
  
Just before he got to the platform he was struck on his right side with a thud that he heard and felt simultaneously. The force of it sent him crashing into a pillar before he collapsed to the floor. For a handful of seconds he couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't think except for one chilling realization.  
  
_Not a dream. Dreams don't hurt._  
  
After a second strike that narrowly missed his head, a chain wrapped around his leg as if it were alive. It constricted and he was dragged towards what Akira could now see was a giant garbed in blood stained rags and a black coat. It was armed with heavy chains in one hand and a black, long-barreled revolver in the other.  
  
_What the fuck what's happening whattheFUCK_  
  
It had no discernible face but the humanoid head tilted, seeming to thoughtfully consider its prey, before whipping the chain attached to Akira's leg again. The teen was flung into the air and then into another wall. The chain around his leg didn't let go. If anything, it slithered up further for a better hold.  
  
There was no escape from this monster who was winding up for the next strike. It was too fast, too big, and too powerful. Akira was unarmed, injured, trapped, and was going to _die_ in this god damned tunnel. He somehow knew that attempting to reason with this being would be like a mouse begging for a cat to spare its life.  
  
Impossibly, what Akira felt more than the terror, more than the confusion and desperation--was a surge of white-hot rage.  
  
_This is not happening this is a dream this is impossible this is_ **NOT FUCKING FAIR!**  
  
He couldn't help but cringe back as he heard more than saw the next attack as chains were again hurled through the air. He raised his arms and drew up his legs in a futile defense. He knew it wasn't enough but he was unwilling to passively take the hit. He waited for the chain to connect--  
  
\--but it never did. Akira opened his eyes to see a set of jet black wings attached to a second humanoid figure blocking his view of the monster. A rapidly growing wall of bright blue flames separated the two figures. The chain around Akira's leg dissolved when the blue fire touched it but Akira was not burned. It felt warm--almost pleasant.  
  
Unlike the first creature, this one was out of focus at the edges, flickering like the picture on a TV with bad reception.  
  
**Flee.** He heard it (him?) say. **I can stall for** **mere** **seconds.**  
  
Not needing to be told again, Akira heaved himself up and scrambled to his feet. The monster roared and lifted its revolver at Akira and his new winged friend. It seemed that it was done playing with the chains.  
  
**RUN!**  
  
Before the monster could get off the shot, he heard a commanding shout from somewhere in the darkness beyond the monster.  
  
"LOKI! STRIKE!"  
   
Akira glanced back at the altercation once he reached the exit stairs. His friend was gone, as was the blue fire. Instead, his view of the monster was obscured by a mass of ethereal red and black fire as it shrieked in fury pain, or both. The sound resonated through the labyrinth of tunnels, practically overwhelming him.  
  
Not wanting to get caught up in more danger, Akira hauled himself up the last few stairs and out of the tunnels. He made it to the unoccupied entrance again, past the abandoned turnstiles, and out the door into the unusually empty street.  
  
He collapsed on a bench to get off his shaking legs. After a while, his phone chimed. He pulled it out of his pocket to find a prompt from the Meta-Nav.  
  
The screen now displayed an arrow and he tapped it. A new prompt popped up.  
  
_Return? Y/N_  
  
Yes, damn it, return. He jammed his finger down at the screen.  
  
"Now returning to the real world from Mementos." said an unfamiliar feminine voice recording, "Thank you for your hard work."  
  
Hard work?  
  
The air shimmered and the world lurched around Akira again. He was still on the bench, but now back in the "real" city. People were again milling about, the sky was sunny, and the nearby stairwell leading to the subway was normal again.  
  
Akira slumped back on the bench. His hand shook as he brushed his hair out of his face and adjusted his glasses.  
  
What the hell was that?  
  
Back on his phone, he could minimize the Meta-Nav app and close it. But he still could not uninstall or otherwise block it.  
  
At a loss for what else to do, he spent a few minutes collecting himself before heading back to Leblanc. As the adrenaline tapered off he became aware of how much he hurt--particularly his right side--and how exhausted he was.  
  
He stood and cautiously, testing his weight, and then descended the stairs once again to find a completely normal transit system. No monsters, no viscera. Eventually he was able to convince himself to board a train after watching a few go by without incident.  
  
Thankfully he was able to score a seat. He didn't think he would have been able stay upright while the train was in motion if he hadn't. He shivered in his seat, chilled from the terror-sweat soaking his clothes. He got a few side-eyes from people, but nothing major.  
  
Upon entering an almost empty Leblanc, Sojiro gave him a critical once-over. "Not getting into fights, are you?" He asked carefully. Akira didn't know if it was because he was uncomfortable asking after Akira or if he didn't want to go though the trouble of lecturing his parolee.  
  
_Oh, it's nothing. I just got smacked around by a demon after accidentally trespassing in the underworld._  
  
Hmm.  
  
He did his best to smile and held up his hands defensively.  
  
"A stop on the subway caught me off guard and I fell. I guess I'm not used to it yet."  
  
Sojiro silently examined his charge for a few more seconds, arms crossed, before seeming to accept the story. He shook his head and changed the subject.  
  
"How's the cold? You feeling any better?"  
  
Never had Akira been presented with such an excellent excuse to escape upstairs and go to bed early.  
  
"Ah...not so much. I think I need more rest." He shifted hopefully towards the stairs.  
  
"Well hold on, have you eaten? I have extra curry that will go to waste if no one eats it soon." Sojiro said with a half smile, which was more than Akira usually got.  
  
They both knew that someone would eat it soon, since Akira ate it for breakfast at least three days a week, not to mention the occasional lunch or dinner. And anything Akira didn't eat would go home with Sojiro. He didn't think this was some kind of trap--Sojiro didn't use mealtimes as opportunities to harangue or lecture like Akira's father often did.  
  
"Dinner sounds nice." Akira replied with his own tentative smile. Acquiring food on his own was more effort than he was willing to exert in his current state.  He sat down at the bar as Sojiro busied himself making a plate. Thankfully this meant that the man was facing away from Akira and missed the wincing and careful movement it took to pull himself into the chair.

 

* * *

  
  
He had another dream with the Velvet Room that night. Igor stared unblinkingly at Akira while propping his chin up on folded hands.  
  
"Most interesting." he drew out his words with an unnaturally wide smile. "It seems you could be of some use after all."  
  
Akira stood up quickly, done with this bullshit.  
  
"What the fuck--what was that?" He demanded, glaring at the grinning Igor.  
  
One of the wardens, the one with buns, slammed her baton on the bars. The gong of the hit reverberated through the narrow cell and he could feel the vibration in his chest. "Watch your language, inmate! You will keep a civil tongue in your head while addressing our master. Or else."  
  
Igor waved one long fingered hand at Akira as if dismissing his question.  
  
"All will be revealed in time, Trickster. For now, you must reconsider this stubbornness of yours and take your fate seriously. Ruin is fast approaching."  
  
"Stop wasting time, inmate!" Both of the girls said simultaneously, glaring at him. Was he imagining it, or were their expressions more vacant than before?  
  
"Think on it." Igor advised.  "The monsters in an outside of the Metaverse are already weeks ahead of you. It will take concerted effort for you to catch up."  
  
Akira startled awake in his attic bed and immediately regretted the sudden movement as his back and side protested. It was a good three hours before his alarm would go off and it seemed like he would not be getting any more sleep.

 

* * *

  
  
The chill in his bones from the bizarro subway stuck around for several days. Extra sleep was not able to banish the persistent fatigue. His cold seemed to get worse and made school even more of a chore than before.  
  
He made the mistake of drowsing in class and was pelted with chalk by Ushimaru in Social Studies. There were some truly mean spirited comments murmured as he jerked awake. Takamaki's cat was watching him again with his big blue eyes and flicking tail. Again, it was a wonder that no one else noticed or cared about the cat when they had so much to say about _him._  
  
He was taking cold medicine every day but the sinus pressure and fatigue continued to dog him. He begged off helping Haru with the garden in the afternoons that week so he could go back to the cafe and rest. She even brought him soup for lunch and didn't seem to mind as he only payed about half-attention to her stories and chatter.  
  
On Saturday he was particularly out of it and ended up being lulled to sleep by her words and the food. He slowly slumped to one side as he drowsed.  
  
He woke to find his head resting in her lap while Haru read his library book. She smiled at him kindly as he sat up slowly. Her expression morphed into worry as he sneezed a couple times into his handkerchief and shivered.  
  
"Akira, perhaps it's best if you visit the nurse. You're looking paler than yesterday."  
  
"I tried that days ago." he replied with a grimace. "Word on the street is that I'm faking so I can skip class."  
  
He saw a spark of outrage in her eyes and cut her off before she started on another self-righteous rant.  
  
 "I'm going to head home after class and get some more rest. It's all right. If I feel awful on Monday I'll tell the boss that I can't go to school."  
  
 Haru huffed in annoyance, but was cut off from whatever she was about to say by the bells signaling the end of lunch period.  
  
 "I don't think I can help with the garden today. Sorry to leave you hanging."  
  
"Just worry about resting and feeling better, Akira. Please."  
  
"Leave it to me!" he replied with a tired smile.  
  
After school on Saturday he trudged past the cafe patrons and set himself up for a long nap. With any luck he'd sleep though the night and be able to get a little cleaning done on Sunday. He was determined to get the dust out of the attic eventually.  
  
It would probably improve the condition of his irritated throat. Maybe this sickness wasn't a cold at all, and was just a dust allergy he developed from overexposure. It would be just about his luck.  
  
He settled into bed and listened to the faint bustling noises of people in the cafe. The sun was still out and people were moving about the neighborhood. His nap would have felt indulgent if he was capable of feeling anything other than exhausted and grumpy.


	4. Down But Not Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get worse. Then better. Then worse. Then...???

###    


  
"..."  
  
"...ster."  
  
"..."  
  
"TRICKSTER!"  
  
Akira jolted and opened his eyes. He was laying in a velvet-room-blue void. A butterfly fluttered in figure-eights above his head.  
  
"Trickster, you must fight!" This particular butterfly spoke with the voice of a girl, maybe a teenager. Neat. "A terrible fate awaits you and all of humanity if you don't upset the plans of the malevolent presence. Please act!"  
  
The butterfly disintegrated before his eyes and he was left all alone in the empty void.  
  
_She has a point_ a male voice chimed in from somewhere to the left. Akira turned his head and saw his winged friend from the subway.  
  
The being stared down at him from a few paces away, head tilted curiously. His massive black wings were folded behind his back as he lounged in midair.  
  
"What...?" Akira asked, confused but not alarmed. He didn't have the energy to panic. He was still lying prone on the ground of wherever they were.  
  
_You are lying to yourself. You know what is right and what is wrong. You endure the apathy and cruel indifference of those around you. Was it a mistake, saving that woman?_ the being paused, then leaned forward to rudely enter Akira's personal space. _Are you admitting defeat? That you deserve this?_  
  
"Who...?" Akira tried again, his tone expressing the surge of annoyance welling up within him. Talking took more effort than he remembered, but it seemed like he got his point across.  
  
**I am you. Rather, I am the rebel's heart that resides within you. I am called Arsene.**  
  
Akira stared up at Arsene, unable to formulate another question. His thoughts felt like mush and he was hot and cold at the same time. He shivered involuntarily.  
  
_Hmm. You are ill. Perhaps this talk is best saved for another time._ Arsene placed one long-clawed hand on Akira's forehead. _**Rest.**_  
  
"mmm." Akira agreed as he closed his eyes. He'd think on this later. For the moment he was safe.

* * *

  
On Monday morning Sojiro paused in the preparation of the kid's breakfast when he realized that he hadn't heard the usual shuffling from upstairs.  
  
"Kid, you'd better be up by now" he called, his voice raised enough to carry. By the time the curry was reheated there had been no movement or sound from upstairs. Was he still asleep? He probably didn't sneak out. Akira was a remarkably well behaved teenager.  
  
Sojiro washed his hands and crept upstairs to check on his charge.  
  
"Hey, are you even awake? It's-"  
  
He was halted by the sight of the kid huddled under the old duvet with only his mop of messy hair poking out of the lump of bedding. He didn't move when Sojiro called.  
  
Sick then? He went over and gently shook his shoulder. "Kid?"  
  
Akira just about jumped out of his skin as he darted upright. Well, _mostly_ upright. With his flushed cheeks on an otherwise ghostly pale face the kid looked like death warmed over. And then the coughing started.   
  
Wet, rattling coughs, and it's clear he was having trouble catching his breath.  
  
After a while it ended and the kid turned his unfocused gaze to Sojiro. Ill, wrapped in a blanket, and missing his glasses, the kid looked remarkably young. He was reminded of how close in age Akira was to Futaba. How his parents hadn't called or acknowledged the half-dozen voicemails Sojiro left since April, updating them on their child's life.  
  
"Am I late?" the kid rasped before attempting--and failing--to stand. The resulting flailing caused another coughing fit and Sojiro cringed at the sound.  "m'sorry. I'll go soon." the kid croaked when he could breathe again.  
  
Sojiro settled a hand on the kid's shoulder to keep him seated. He could feel the heat of the kid's fever through his sleep shirt. "No, kid. Sit down. Where are your shoes?"  
  
First thing's first—get Akira to the clinic. Sojiro scrolled through his phone contacts in search of the number as the kid fought to untangle himself from the bedding.  
  
"I'm. Did I-?" Akira asks in a horrified whisper. Before Sojiro could answer, the kid turned frantic. "You're kicking me out?"  
  
"What?" Sojiro yelped, bewildered. Wide, glassy eyes stared at him before they were hidden by a shaky hand. Sojiro had never seen the kid so upset.  
  
"I'm sorry! I--can I have a couple of days?" Akira's voice broke in the middle of his plea and Sojiro felt like an asshole. The kid was delirious and it seemed that Sojiro's half-hearted attempts at discipline had been taken at face value.  
  
"Kid. KID." Sojiro interrupted, clearing his throat around the sudden sinking in his chest. The kid was halfway up off the bed before Sojiro caught his shoulder again. "Akira. Settle down. You're sick. No one's kicking you out. We're just going to the clinic down the street."  
  
"oh." the kid’s brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't have a lot of money..."  
  
Was the kid looking for his wallet? _Really?_   Jesus.  
  
"Hush. I'm the adult here. Don't worry about it." Sojiro sat on the bed next to his charge with a heavy sigh. It might be better to ask the doctor to come to Leblanc--at least until they knew what they were dealing with.  
  
"oh" Akira repeated, softer.  
  
Sojiro located the number for the clinic and hoped the doctor was already in the office.  
  
She answered the phone in the middle of Akira's next coughing fit, which meant Sojiro needed to explain very little.  
  
"Is that your daughter?" Doctor Tae Takemi asked without preamble.

  
"No, it's the kid. At Leblanc."

  
"I'll be over in ten minutes."

  
"Thank you, doctor."

  
After hanging up the phone, Sojiro turned back to the kid. He was calmer now, but still puny.  
  
"m'sorry." he murmured when he noticed Sojiro watching him.  
  
"Huh? What for?" he felt the kid's forehead with the back of his hand. It was blazing. Akira shut his eyes and ever so slightly leaned in.  
  
"Being a nuisance."  
  
"You didn't get sick on purpose." Sojiro pointed out, uncomfortable with the reality that he had been the one to scare the kid into not even asking for help.

* * *

  
  
Takemi's silent judging eye assessing the mess that was Leblanc's attic was far more than Sojiro was prepared to face after the fraught conversation with his charge. A sick child that'd been living in it for months now. He'd clearly tried to tidy up, but there was only so much that could be done. He’d probably given up at some point. It wasn’t a great place for anyone, let alone a child.  
  
"High temperature, still mostly coherent." The doctor reported. "But if his fever gets any higher he'll need a hospital." Takemi poked and prodded at a dazed and docile Akira. She checked his fingers and then moved to stand directly in front of his face as she directed a pen light straight into his eyes.  
  
"How long have you been feeling sick?" she asked, ignoring his obvious wince.  
  
"I had a cold a coupl’a weeks ago and thought I was just taking a long time to get over it. The cough is new. And I'm really tired."  
  
The doctor shook her head and turned back to Sojiro. "He's okay to move as long as he rests afterwards. I need to get some X-rays and a blood culture."

* * *

  
  
Akira blearily followed the doctor back to the clinic with Sojiro glued to his side. As nice as it was to have someone actually concerned for once, it was also mildly alarming. Dr. Takemi didn't immediately order Akira to the ER so whatever he had was probably not life threatening. So maybe Sojiro was overreacting.  
  
She strode ahead as Akira had to stop a couple times to cough up a lung. The bruises along his torso and legs had been feeling better in the week since his monster encounter but the coughing fits were enough to make him ache all over again.  
  
When they made it into the clinic, Akira bee-lined for the exam room's bed and collapsed. He only had half an ear on the murmurs between the doctor and his guardian.  
  
"No, he had a cold a couple weeks back. He's been sleeping a lot the last few days but he didn't look like death on Saturday afternoon when he came home. "  
  
"Hmm. I'll need a blood sample at the very least. Lucky for him respiratory infections...project lately."  
  
"...bigger than...caught it in time?"  
  
"Probably just a..."  
  
He didn't realize he’d drifted off until he woke to the doctor tapping him on the shoulder.  
  
"Up! Come on. Sit for me."  
  
"Mmph." He replied, meaning _"okay, but you're asking for a lot"_   as he heaved his body into a sitting position.  
  
"Uh huh. Take off the hoodie."  
  
He complied, but made sure to send her a reproachful glare as he shivered in the cold air of the clinic. She smirked as she continued the exam. He sat passively and daydreamed about how nice a cool glass of water would be. Everything was business as usual until she reached to put her stethoscope on his back. To her credit, her first reaction was only to pause and then give the marks a closer look.  
  
"What is all of this?" she asked neutrally, pulling the stethoscope out of her ears and catching his eye as she sat back. Sojiro looked up curiously from his spot leaning against the wall.  
  
"Fell on th' subway." Akira mumbled, steadfastly sticking to his guns even while half-dead.   
  
Unlike his guardian, the doctor was not buying it. "Oh?" she replied, projecting an air of indifference as she jotted down something in his file. "Sakura-san, could you step out for a moment?" she asked without looking up. Akira was suddenly wide awake.  
  
"Wha-no! Hey, he didn't do anything." he interrupted, shocked. He saw Sojiro move out of the corner of his eye but couldn't make himself look. His urgent denial led to a brief coughing fit so violent that he gagged. "Whatever you're thinking, he's not like that." he continued when he could breathe again.  
  
"Woah, all right." She soothed, touching his arm gently. She tried again, "I've never seen a fall result in trauma like this in someone your age. Are you anemic? Eating a balanced diet?"  
  
They wouldn't believe him if he told the truth. He knew this but at the same time he didn’t want to lie. But he _really_ didn’t want to end up in a psych ward. he also didn't want to end up in a psych ward.  
  
He shrugged, unwilling to open his mouth again and have Dr Takemi see though whatever ruse he came up with. He didn't want her to start suspecting Sojiro again. He steadied his breathing and felt fortunate that she had already tested his blood pressure.  
  
"Hmm." she said at his non-verbal reply, then glanced to his guardian who’s gaze Akira was still steadfastly ignoring.  
  
As he watched the doctor get a blood sample his agitation faded and fatigue washed over him again.  
  
"It's pneumonia, from the look of it. I won't know if it is viral or bacterial until I finish the lab work. In the meantime I'll send you home with some of my own formulation for respiratory infections. It will help you breathe easier and fight it off faster." She turned to Sojiro, "He needs to be somewhere cleaner than that dusty shop."  
  
To Akira's surprise, Sojiro blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I would take him to the house, but I don't want to stress out Futaba..."  
  
"It can't be helped." Dr Takemi cut him off sharply. "She'll be fine, just give her some warning. Akira won't go wandering." At this, she sent Akira a glance that he read as _or else_. "He's a good kid and he's going to sleep through the next few days anyway. It's a side effect."  
  
Sojiro inhaled as if gearing up to argue, but then let it out as a long sigh. The doctor busied herself with finishing her notes on Akira's chart and then going to retrieve whatever medicine he was supposed to take.  
  
"I can stay in the cafe--" Akira tried, but Sojiro shook his head decisively.  
  
"No, she's right. I should tell you--you should know about Futaba.  
  
"A while back, before the cafe, I worked with Futaba's mother. She was my closest friend. She got pregnant with Futaba but there wasn't any guy around claiming to be the father and she never said a word about it.  
  
"She raised Futaba on her own and was as amazing at being a parent as she was at her research. A couple years ago, she...died. I." here, Sojiro paused for a moment to gather himself. "Wakeba walked into a busy street and got hit right in front of Futaba.  
  
"Futaba was passed around between her relatives for a while until I got custody of her. She was so hurt and traumatized by what had happened that she wouldn't even talk to me for months. She doesn't leave the house at all. It's a quiet place and I do my best to keep her feeling safe." Sojiro looked up from the floor and narrowed his eyes at him.  
  
Akira met Sojiro's gaze, feeling like he understood the man a little better now.  
  
"I'm telling you this so you won't get curious and go poking around, and to explain why I've had you sleep at Leblanc instead of my house."  
  
"It's okay. I understand." Akira replied quietly, but his response made Sojiro frown and shake his head again.  
  
"It's not okay, but I'm glad you get my reasoning. You need to be in a better environment while you're recuperating so how about I set you up on my living room couch?"  
  
It sounded like it was the only option that Dr. Takemi would accept, so Akira agreed. "That sounds good. Thank you."

* * *

  
  
An hour and some truly nasty medicine later, Akira was bundled up in a blanket burrito on Sojiro’s couch. He was warned sit still and rest, then given the TV remote and some tea. It was the kindest and most parental he'd ever seen his temporary guardian. Akira was still hot and shivery but Sojiro's house was a lot less drafty and lounging on the couch was more comfortable than he'd been in a while. It was nice to sit cocooned in warmth while listening to some mindless chatter, slowly but surely drifting off.  
  
Sojiro reappeared (after leaving to talk to Futaba) and checked on Akira one last time.  
  
"Doc says you'll probably sleep all day but you should call me or send a message if you start feeling worse. I mean it. She’ll have my hide if she thinks I'm not parenting well enough." Sojiro chuckled a little at his joke and put the back of his hand against Akira's forehead again. "Still warm but you look a damn sight better than when you woke up."  
  
"I'll close the shop up early today to come check on you. Get some rest."  
  
Akira sleepily turned his attention back to the melodrama show as Sojiro left, eventually letting his eyes drift closed.

  
It was early afternoon by the time he woke and the Featherman team was in the middle of an epic battle on the TV screen. A red headed girl was frozen in the hallway, staring at Akira with wide eyes behind large glasses. He blearily watched her back but lost interest quickly. His eyes still ached with fatigue so he closed them. The last thing he heard was the sound of the girl dashing away and a door slamming closed.

  


Later he woke feeling much steadier than before. He sat through a couple commercials before he noticed his phone's notification light blinking. He picked it up to find a message from an unfamiliar chat ID.

 

>   
>   
> [Unknown]:  What's your favorite Featherman R ranger?

>   
> Akira:   Red Hawk, no question

>   
> [Unknown]: ugh, lame  
> [Unknown]:  So are you dying? Sojiro said there was an emergency and you needed to stay here.

>   
> Akira:  Not dying. Probably pneumonia according to Dr. Takemi. I'm supposed to sleep it off.  
> Akira:  I'll be out of your hair soon. Don't feel like you have to hide in your own house or anything.

  
  
He watched as the chat app displayed the ellipses indicating that she was typing a response but he never received a reply.

  
He was able to stay awake for all of an hour before his next nap. He opened his eyes to find the sun setting and Sojiro busy cooking dinner in the kitchen. Akira got to his feet slowly and shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. He returned to take a seat at the kitchen table and check his phone. No new messages from Futaba.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Sojiro asked, glancing up from the stove.  
  
"Maybe a little better? The fever pro'lly broke." he not-quite mumbled, his throat more sore than he remembered it only hours before. He figured he wouldn't mention it unless it got worse. He’d probably just been snoring or something.   
  
Sojiro nodded as he set a glass of water down on the table in front of Akira before going back to cooking.  
  
Just a minute or two into their awkward silence, Futaba crept into the kitchen and took the seat opposite Akira. Their guardian didn't notice until he turned to ask Akira another question.  
  
"Did you--oh?"  
  
Futaba typed something out on her phone and ignored the man, shoulders hunched.  
  
Sojiro, bemused, shrugged and went back to stirring whatever was for dinner.  
  
**_How interesting_ ,** Arsene murmured in Akira's head, making him twitch.

_So that was real? Figures._

Futaba glanced up from her phone with a quirked eyebrow.

 ** _Well, do not be rude. Make friends._**  
  
Akira shrugged back with an awkward grin. She rolled her eyes dramatically and went back to her phone. Akira's pinged.

>   
>  Unknown: Nerd  
> Akira: no u

  
Futaba snorted in laughter, which was so unexpected that it cracked Akira up as well—until he had to stop to cough yet again. It sounded wet and nasty, which Futaba was quick to point out.  
  
"UGH. Gross."  
  
"It feels about as bad as it sounds." Akira agreed, downing his glass of water. Sojiro glanced back again at them curiously.  
  
**_Close enough, I suppose._** Arsene sighed.

* * *

  
After dinner, Akira and Sojiro settled in to watch the TV news as Futaba left for her room. Akira realized he never replied to Haru's message from earlier that day.

 

>   
> Haru:  Are you all right? The rumors around the school are terrible.  
> Haru:  Did you get worse?  
> Haru:  The cafe is called Leblanc, correct?

>   
> Akira:  I'm all right. Pneumonia, probably. I've been sleeping all day on the couch at Boss' house. Made a new friend and everything.

>   
> Haru:  Oh thank goodness. I was so worried. I shall speak to your homeroom teacher tomorrow and bring your schoolwork.

>   
> Akira: Better to bring it by Leblanc than his house. I'll explain later.

>   
> Haru: Are you that bad off?

>   
> Akira: No, there's just some unusual circumstances. Just tell Boss you're a friend of mine. I'll tell him you're coming.

>   
> Haru: Feel better soon!  
> Haru: <3

  
Akira felt himself blush, embarrassed but pleased, which of course is the moment that Soijro took notice.  
  
"Texting your girl?" He asked, then when Akira looked away he chuckled. "I see."  
  
"A friend. She's going to drop my school work off at Leblanc after school tomorrow."  
  
"A friend, huh?"  
  
"Haru."  
  
"I'll keep a look out for her." Sojiro grinned. It faded after a moment and Sojiro cleared his throat and turned serious.  
  
"So it looks like Futaba is warming up to you. Everything all right there?"  
  
"Uh...yes? Is that bad?" Akira asked tentatively. In his experience, sudden mood changes usually spelled trouble.  
  
"Oh no, don't worry about it. I'm just curious. She's not what you'd call a social type."  
  
They continued to watch the news in silence. Akira decided to send one last message to Futaba.

 

>    
>   
> Akira: I'm not making your life harder by being here, am I?

  
The notification that she was typing a response popped up again, then went away. Nothing was forthcoming for a few minutes and Akira took it as confirmation. He tried again.

 

>   
> Akira: Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy but I don't think it's fair for me to stay here if it makes you anxious.  
> Akira: I can go back to the cafe after it closes tomorrow maybe? The worst of this has probably passed.

>   
> Futaba: Just shut up and watch your daytime dramas, attic boy.

>   
> Akira: I only had those on because I was waiting for the game shows

>   
> Futaba: Suuuure you were. That's not any better BTW

 

  
Later, after Sojiro had gone to bed--and before Akira's medicine sent him off to la-la land--he picked up his phone to browse the internet a bit to find that Futaba had sent him more messages.

 

>    
> Futaba: It's okay.  
> Futaba: It's kind of nice to talk to someone IRL.

 

* * *

  
  
Akira spotted boy he'd helped at the florist on TV the next day while he idly flipped through channels. He was being interviewed by a daytime talk show and his name was Goro Akechi. He was some sort of minor celebrity as a young but particularly gifted detective working for the Tokyo police force.  
  
His smile was fake. Akira supposed he wouldn't be his genuine self either if he was in front of so many cameras, but there was something almost wooden about Akechi's demeanor.  
  
"Now Akechi-san, what do you think of the artist Madarame's confession this morning? Do you think his heart was really changed by the Phantom Thieves?"  
  
Looks like Takamaki and her crew had been busy.  
  
"It's a little too early to tell, don't you think? The story is still developing."  
  
"Well, I suppose so, but we've been seeing quite a few reports of people claiming that the Phantom Thieves are not only real, but that they're responding to people's posts on their website."  
  
"To be honest, that sounds like wishful thinking. I know I'd like to have all my problems solved by complaining about them online."  
  
Cue polite laughter from the hosts and audience.  
  
"Let's take a break for now. More from Detective Akechi later after this."  
  
Akira glanced over to find Futaba creeping out of the hallway and into the kitchen. She paused when she noticed Akira's attention but then continued on her way with forced casualness.  
  
Akira flipped through more channels before he settled on a cartoon show and set the remote on the table. He stretched out a bit and sighed, feeling miserable but unable to do anything about it but suffer for a while. He solemnly swore to himself to never take breathing though his nose for granted again. And to go see Dr. Takemi a lot sooner, cost be damned. Sojiro clearly wouldn't let him starve.  
  
Futaba exited the kitchen and Akira watched though his peripheral vision as she settled on a nearby chair. They watched the cartoon in silence while Futaba ate something crunchy from a bowl.  
  
Cool.

They oh-so-casually ignored each other for a while until Akira was hit with an unexpected sneezing episode that sent him into a series of deep, rattling coughs. He wrapped the blanket over his shoulders around himself tighter and shivered as it ended.  
  
"That’s just nasty." Futaba observed.  
  
"I don't recommend it." he said miserably, turning his head to look over at her to overtly acknowledge her presence.  
  
She scoffed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"You want more water?" She asked as she stood with her empty bowl.  
  
"Yes, please. I don't want to move if I can help it." he replied wearily, not having to exaggerate much.  
  
"Toootally pathetic" Futaba stated a minute or two later as she set the glass down on a nearby end table.  
  
"I'm completely pitiful" he said in the same tone, then groaned and tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I don't think I've ever been this sick."  
  
"At least you get to skip school for a few days."  
  
"Ugh, yeah. School sucks right now." Akira's eyes were gritty and burned a little at the edges again. He closed them.  
  
"What's it like?" Futaba asked hesitantly after a long pause.  
  
He opened his eyes and looked over. She was hunched on the armchair with her legs drawn up in the seat with her. Her eyes were still on the TV. He followed her gaze as he thought about his answer.   
  
"It's...strange. Different from back home. Loads more people but the library has a much better selection."  
  
"Nerd."  
  
"There's a garden on the roof. Tons of vending machines in the courtyard. The classes are larger than I'm used to. There's never enough curry bread at the student store. One of my classmates keeps a cat in her desk."  
  
"Whaaaat?" Futaba replied incredulously, finally tearing her eyes away from the show.  
  
"She really does! Her cat goes with her everywhere and it sleeps in her desk during class. I don't know how no one else has noticed. No one has ever mentioned it."  
  
"Are you sure it's a real cat?" Futaba's attention was centered on him now, and Akira noted that her shoulders were more relaxed than minutes before.  
  
"Seems real. Sometimes it visits us on the roof when we're watering the plants."  
  
"We?" Her questions were less hesitant too. Sojiro might have been wrong about her being aloof.  
  
"Me and my friend Haru. There's only the two of us in the garden club."  
  
"What's she like?"  
  
"She's kind, and smart. And genuine. We don't know anything about keeping plants but most of the stuff we tried is growing. She sent me a message yesterday telling me 'I told you so'. She kept telling me to go back to the doctor but I wanted to wait it out and save the cash."  
  
"What? Sojiro would have payed for it!"  
  
"I uh." Akira paused, unsure. "I wasn't aware at the time. We didn't exactly get off on the right foot."  
  
"Sojiro is secretly a big softie. He's the best!" She watched him carefully and then in a softer voice added "You don't have to be afraid of him."  
  
Akira remembered what Sojiro said about Futaba being passed around her relatives after her mother died. And from what he could piece together Sojiro had no familial relation to Futaba. She likely spoke from experience.  
  
"That's...kind of a relief to know." Akira said, voice just as soft.  
  
They spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out and watching TV. When Sojiro came home that evening they were in the middle of some reruns of a very old science fiction show ("A classic, how have you never seen this?" demanded Futaba) called Space Trek. Well, Futaba was watching. Akira was snoozing with his head on the couch's armrest and drooling on his arm.  
  
He opened his eyes and listened to Futaba chatter at Sojiro. She was insistent that dinner should be chicken noodle soup.  
  
"I looked it up, it's supposed to be really good for people on death's door like 'Kira. We have almost everything we need and we can add udon to it. It's traditional."  
  
Sojiro took this in good humor and held his hands up in surrender. "All right, all right. Show me the recipe and I'll see what I can do." He even sounded less grumbly than usual. He looked over as Akira sat up and rubbed at his face.  
  
"How are you feeling? Any better? Worse?"  
  
Akira, still lagging from his nap, could only think to croak "I missed my last dose of medicine. I was sleepin'.   
  
"I'll bring it to you." Sojiro gestured for Akira to stay seated when he started getting up.  
  
Futaba rocked back and forth on her heels and caught Akira's eye as Sojiro passed by her on the way to the kitchen. "Softie" she mouthed at him. Akira let out a startled laugh.

* * *

  
  
Once again Futaba disappeared after dinner to do her own thing and Sojiro and Akira sat on the couch to watch the news. Akira shuffled through the papers that Haru brought to Sojiro earlier that day. So far most of the work he missed was easy enough and he wouldn't need to beg his classmates for notes. Not that he thought he'd have much luck anyway.  
  
There was coverage on the news regarding the scandal with the artist that Akechi was asked about that morning. Madarame was a famous contemporary artist whose trademark was his many differing styles. It turned out that his inability to stick to a style was because he stole all of his students' work and passed it off as his own. The Phantom Thieves sent him a calling card a week ago and early this morning the man had held a press conference confessing his crimes.  
  
Arsene, who seemed to be sticking around in the back of Akira’s head, showed interest in the segment although he did not comment. Was this the sort of thing that Akira was supposed to pay attention to?

 

* * *

  
  
The next day was similar but Akira asked more questions about what they were watching. Futaba was absorbed in the show despite also typing furiously on a laptop.  


"Wait, I thought the captain was sucked into a black hole?"

  
"He did, that's his clone. They haven't figured it out yet."

  
"That sounds like the plot of a soap opera."

  
"Your _face_ is a soap opera."

  
They're well into the next episode of Space Trek before she speaks up again.  
  
"Did you really assault that guy?"  
  
Akira looked over to see Futaba curled up in her usual chair, but her head is resting on her knees, turned away from the show with eyes on him instead. Akira realized she probably worked up the nerve to ask. She nervously rubbed her thumb against her other hand as she waited for his reply.  
  
"I really got arrested and convicted for assault." He raised an eyebrow. He was sure it would've looked clever if he hadn't been pale and covered in snot.  
  
"But did you really _do_ it?" She insisted, instantly catching on to what he didn't say and once again demonstrating how sharp she was.  
  
"I pushed a drunk asshole away from a woman he was attacking. He got mad about it."  
  
"And you got convicted? That's such bullshit. What about the eye-witness?"  
  
"She lied. How do you know about that, anyway?" It occurred to Akira that she knew details that Sojiro wouldn't have mentioned.  
  
"I have my ways." She grinned evilly. "And Inaba PD's network security sucks."  
  
"What--don't hack the police! It's super-illegal!"  
  
"Relax, they won't catch me." she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I clean up after myself. And 'super illegal'? Really?"  
  
"It's a highly technical legal term. Look it up. Why did you hack the police department?"  
  
"I was doing a background check and the more I read, the more suspicious it looked. I couldn't even find name of the guy you assaulted. His name doesn't come up once in all of the paperwork or court documents."  
  
"Yeah, he's some political dick. Probably friends in high places or whatever."  
  
They lapsed into silence for a while.  
  
"Hey, d'you wanna watch Featherman?"  
  
"Okay, but I'm probably going to take another nap soon."

* * *

  
  
That evening was a partial repeat of the previous day. Futaba worked on her phone app from her laptop while Akira did homework on the kitchen table. Sojiro busied himself with cooking up something to go with leftover chicken udon from the previous day. Futaba eventually got bored with her laptop ("it's compiling!") and rifled through Akira's pile of school work. He looked up at her curiously when she began but then left her to it. He figured her having an interest in high school was a step in the right direction.  
  
"You're doing Calculus? Aren't you a second year?" She asked, brows furrowed.  
  
"That's pretty normal. The Shujin math department crams two years worth of calculus in at once so I'm working hard not to fall behind."  
  
"You're doing this formula wrong." she pointed to some work he'd just finished.  
  
"Ah-what? Where?"  
  
"This. Look. You're supposed to use a different formula"  
  
Akira groaned and put a mark on the paper so he would remember which one to do over. "I'll come back later when my brain isn't melted. Thanks." He idly wondered when Futaba learned calculus but is more grateful for the help than anything. He jotted down notes on what had to be corrected in the margins as Futaba silently gloats.  
  
Once again she departed for her room after dinner, wishing them both a bright “good night!”.  
  
"You two are still getting along, right?" Sojiro asked when they were alone, looking uncomfortable for reasons Akira couldn't immediately discern.

  
"Yeah. We've been watching TV in the afternoon. She showed me an app she's working on too."  
  
Sojiro seemed to contemplate this for a little while before changing the subject. "How are you getting along with your homework?"  
  
"I finished most of it. Not including the math assignment I have to correct all I have left is some reading for history and civics."  
  
"Yeah? That's fast." Sojiro was surprised, or maybe even impressed.  
   
Akira shrugged and looked down at his hands on the table. "I like to get it out of the way."  
  
The conversation stalled. Akira noticed that Haru sent him another "get well soon" message and it made him feel a little warmer inside.  
  
Akira's attention was drawn back to his guardian when the man cleared his throat. "How's school outside of that? Make any friends?" He gave a little nod to the phone in Akira's hands, then smiled slyly. "Other than your girlfriend, that is."  
  
Akira nearly dropped his phone.  "My--uh. You mean Haru?" He felt his face heat up.  
  
"Haha, so that's how it is?"  
  
"Huh??" Akira's voice cracked, determined to humiliate him further.  
  
Sojiro nodded to himself like he was dispensing sage wisdom. "You should try asking her out. She clearly cares about you. Called you 'a dear friend'. If you want to bring her ‘round Leblanc sometime I’ll show you how to make a killer cup of coffee to win her over."   
  
Akira wanted to disappear under the table. Sojiro took pity on him with a chuckle and a pat on the shoulder.  
  
"Relax, kid. So what about your classmates? They treating you all right?"  
  
From one difficult subject to another. And it looked like there was no escape.  
  
"I don't...really...." He trailed off, unsure how to put the situation into words. He glanced up briefly after an extended silence and saw that Sojiro was leaning against the counter, facing Akira and patiently waiting for him to finish the thought. Akira took a deep breath and slowly released it. "One of the teachers told the students about my record before I got here. Not a lot of them want to talk to me."  
  
"That's--which teacher? Do you know?" he asked with a growl. Akira figured it wasn’t at him but he didn't look up to check.  
  
"I always assumed it was the volleyball coach that got arrested.”  
  
"So he's gone but the damage has been done." Sojiro sighed. "That's rough. And not a lot anyone can do."  
  
Akira considered complaining about his name being voted to the top of the hit-list on the Phantom Thieves website. It sounded like ridiculous whining even in his head so he decided to keep it to himself.  
  
"You didn't fall on the subway." Sojiro said flatly, and Akira realized with mild surprise that _this_ must be the point of the conversation.  
  
Akira didn't answer. He couldn't--even if he _wanted_ to. He knew better than to deny the statement but he also knew he couldn’t offer a better explanation. The uncomfortable silence extended for over a minute before Sojiro gave up with another one of his patented long sighs.  
  
"Just. Next time--Tell me next time. I know your situation is difficult but you don't have to let bullies walk all over you, okay?"  
  
Akira nodded silently, and felt guilt gnaw at his insides.  
  
Sojiro dropped the subject.

* * *

  
After three more days of being a slug on the couch (and taking questionable medication), Akira felt worlds better and Dr. Takemi cleared him to go back to Leblanc. The cafe's attic was much cleaner than Akira left it. Sojiro shifted uncomfortable as Akira inspected his bedroom in surprise and made some excuse about how dust would probably impede his recovery. He then made hasty retreat downstairs.

 

>   
> Akira: he bought me the CRT at the junk shop!

>   
> Futaba: See? Listen to my wisdom. Sojiro is the best.

 

* * *

  
"Ready to go back?" Sojiro asked as Akira descended the attic stairs the next morning. He nodded as he sat down at the bar. Sojiro served up a bowl of rice and egg. Surprised but delighted, Akira dug into his unusually curry-free breakfast. As usual, it was delicious.  
  
"Sort of.” Akira answered after swallowing. “I definitely want to get a new library book. And exams are coming up soon so I shouldn't be missing any more lectures."  
  
Sojiro nodded to himself, nursing a cup of coffee as Akira ate in silence. When he was about done, the man spoke up again, unusually frank.  
  
"Don't be afraid to go to the nurse this time. I already gave the front office an earful about it. If you're feeling sick just call and I'll make sure no one penalizes you. And remember what I said, all right? If anyone's giving you trouble, let me know and we'll handle it."  
  
Akira, used to this by now, nodded in agreement.  
  
"I mean it, kid. Don't let anyone push you around."  
  
"I'll let you know if I need help." Akira placated. "Really, I will." he added when Sojiro looked unconvinced.  
  
"Okay. Get out of here. Remember to flip the sign!"  
  
"Thank you for breakfast!" Akira called as he left for school.

* * *

  
  
He quickly learned about the latest Kurusu gossip after multiple people gasped and urgently murmured to one another as he passed. Apparently his heart had been changed and he turned himself in for some outrageous crime the previous week. He'd heard several disappointed people wonder out loud about why the school let him come back at all.  
  
Turned himself in for what? Everyone had a different story. Stabbed a teacher, bullied middle school kids out of their money, caught cheating, confessed to working for the Yakuza. One particularly upsetting rumor was that he was stealing from the florist he worked at part-time.  
  
He walked upstairs with his head held high and tried to project an air of his usual cool indifference. He didn't know how good of a job he was doing but at least no one tried to talk to him until he reached his classroom door.  
  
Takamaki and Sakamoto were discussing something with their heads together, bent over the same phone. Sakamoto spotted him first, elbowing Takamaki. She looked up in quickly with wide eyes, pocketing the phone, then smiled winningly directly at Akira.  
  
He smelled a trap.  
  
**Anything they might do to harm you in this place attract would too much attention. Be at ease.** Arsene soothed.  
  
Akira marched forward again, determined to get to his desk without engaging. So of course Takamaki stepped in his way.  
  
"Good morning, Kurusu-kun!" She greeted, looking at him expectantly. Sakamoto stood off to the side, sizing him up.  
  
After a few seconds of mulling over the situation, he decided to reply.  
  
"Good morning. Could you move?"  
  
She didn't immediately step out of the way so he carefully dodged around her and into the classroom. He sat down at his usual desk, thankfully the same as how he left it, and pulled out a book to squeeze in some reading before class started.  
  
Takamaki took her usual seat, but instead of facing forward she was turned so she was looking back at Akira.  
  
"What are you reading?" she asked, still using the oddly peppy tone from before.  
  
"Biography of a serial killer" Akira lied smoothly without missing a beat.  
  
"Oh really? I guess that kind of thing is pretty interesting, isn't it. There's lots of documentaries about serial killers. Is it a subject you're interested in?" She chattered, and Akira realized he wasn't getting out of this.  
  
"What is it, Takamaki?" he replied with a sigh, closing his book and leaning back. "Just tell me what you want."  
  
This direct approach threw her off, but not for long. "Me and my friends were wondering if you wanted to hang out. You're new to town, right?"  
  
"I've been here since April. I don't think I count as 'new’ anymore.”  
  
"Okaaaay...but you've never been to Tokyo before April, right? Where are you from, anyway?"  
  
"No, I've never been to Tokyo before this year." He didn't acknowledge her second question.  
  
"Well--"  
  
Thankfully, the homeroom teacher entered the room and the conversation ended.  
  
Akira escaped quickly at lunch break, and was lucky enough to avoid Takamaki again after school by heading for the roof.  
  
Haru was delighted to see him. They spent an hour or so checking over plants for bugs and any evidence of disease. Most of the work was done by Haru after Akira tired out after the first thirty minutes. He sat against a wall while Haru finished the work and they continued to talk. She was happy to hear that he'd found a kindred spirit in Futaba.  
  
"I'd introduce the two of you but I don't think that would be good for her." Akira said apologetically as he enjoyed the warm sun soaking in to his skin.  
  
"What's important is that both of you have a new friend. It seems like Futaba-chan is in particular need of a friend like yourself."  
  
"Like me?" Akira cracked open an eye.  
  
"You're concerned about her and you don't scare easily. And I know you would never say anything unkind about her situation like others might." Haru dusted off her hands and stood.  
  
"I think everyone has some subjects they'd rather not talk about" Akira stated neutrally, but met Haru's eyes as he said it. "It's none of my business and I think everyone would rather avoid thinking too much about their problems."  
  
He could feel Arsene silently judging him.  
  
Haru had a dangerously thoughtful look on her face, as if she was heard a lot more than Akira thought he said.  
  
"I'm engaged to a vile man." She sat down next to him. "My father is forcing me into an arranged marriage so that he can enter the political world. I'm afraid he's no longer the man I remember from when I was young. I am unsure if that man ever existed at all."  
  
Akira moved to rest his arm across her shoulders. They sat for a minute or so before Akira talk about his own baggage.  
  
"I didn't _assault_ anyone. I was trying to protect a woman from some drunk perv and he turned out to be some powerful life-ruining asshole. My father and step-mother shipped me off to someone they've never met so I'd be out of their hair and not embarrass them any more back home. I'm probably I'm getting kicked out as soon as I finish high school. But that's not the worst part.”  
  
Haru took all this in with wide eyes, but didn't interrupt. He took a deep breath.  
  
"I can't tell the difference between cold brew and regular drip coffee but I've been telling the boss that I can."  
  
This earned a giggle. He hugged Haru with the arm around her shoulder. "Don't tell him. I'm not sure I'd be allowed behind the counter ever again.”  
  
"You seem more relaxed than you were before your illness. I'm glad." Haru leaned her head to rest on his shoulder.  
  
"Me too."

* * *

  
  
After garden club, the idea of heading straight back to Leblanc did not appeal. He wasn't scheduled to work until the next day so he looked up a local park to take a short stroll.  
  
He still wasn't back to one-hundred percent, however, and had to take a break before he reached the halfway point of the walking path. He took long, slow, deep breaths as he did his best to suppress the urge to cough. He felt better but still sounded like he was about to lose an organ every time he had to cough.  
  
He snapped a picture of a family of ducks in a nearby pond and sent it to Futaba just for fun. She sent back a string of emojis that he could only guess were positive.  
  
When he finally made it back to Leblanc he found Goro Akechi is sitting at the bar, doing homework.  
  
They nodded to one another in greeting and Akira assured Sojiro that he was fine, just tired.  
  
He turned in early, flopping down on the bed as soon as he finished changing out of his uniform.

* * *

  
  
The day after was sunny and he used the early afternoon light to take a nice picture of the sad tomato plant to send to Futaba.

 

>   
> Futaba:  that at your school?

>  

> Akira:  Yeah. The garden club's prize tomato plant

>  

> Futaba:  Is it sick? That's the saddest tomato plant I've ever seen

>  

> Akira:  Excuse you, it's just going through its awkward phase!

>  

> Futaba: Wimpy, sad little plant

>   
> Akira: Yeah but we grew it ourselves so we're ridiculously proud of the World's Wimpiest Tomato Plant™

>   
> Futaba: Grow some cabbages!

>   
> Akira:  asked about cabbages last month.

> Akira: Haru says those have to wait for a cooler season. They'll shrivel in the summer :/

>  

> Futaba: Lame  
> Futaba: What else ya got?

  
It turned out that talking about school was an effective strategy to get Futaba talking, even if it was mostly sass. He filed the information away for later.  
  
He did his shift at the florist as usual, trying to ignore the presence of Takamaki and company. They're less obvious than last time but it was hard to miss them once he knew they were nearby. They’d added a new member who also glowed blue when Akira didn't look directly at him. The florist, Hanasaki-san, smiled at him in welcome when he arrived but he noticed that it didn’t quite reach her eyes.  
  
On his way home he braved the weird discount shop at the end of Central Street to retrieve some salmon-lemon flavored squid crackers for Futaba. They looked horrifying and he hoped Futaba didn't want to share. She missed her favorite junk foods but Sojiro never seemed to bring her the "right stuff". Whether this was accidental or intentional was up for debate.  
  
As Sojiro was about to leave the cafe for the night Akira handed over Futaba's junk food and stumbled through his explanation.  
  
"Futaba asked. She said she missed some of the snacks she used to eat and I was at the convenience store anyway. And..." He shrugs a little as the trails off.  
  
"So she's got herself another minion, huh?" Sojiro assessed Akira over the top rim of his glasses. Akira could only shrug again in response.  
  
"It wasn't out of my way..." he reiterated, not sure what Sojiro was looking for.  
  
"You're a good kid." He finally says with a real smile. He pats Akira's shoulder once as he walks out.  
  
The next day he gave Akira an in-depth lesson on the components and technique of a good cold brew.  
  
After that, Akira was given more advanced lessons in coffee when he helped out at the cafe in the evenings and found himself genuinely enjoying it. It turned out that the rows of jars of coffee beans along the wall weren't just for show.  
  
Goro Akechi had made Leblanc his new regular coffee shop. He started to show up the week that Akira was out sick and could now be seen two or three times a week either after school or in the early evenings. He didn't seem surprised the first time that he noticed Akira behind the counter.  
  
"Ah, I see you're feeling better. Welcome back, Kurusu-kun." He said formally with a nod as he sat himself at the bar.  
  
Akira looked over at Sojiro, who was cleaning the kitchen and taking inventory. He gave Akira a hand wave to indicate that he could be trusted to serve this particular customer. Akira turned back to the boy.  
  
"What would you like, Akechi-san? I don't know if you have a usual yet."  
  
"A cup of something mild would be excellent. Perhaps with some steamed milk."  
  
Akira nodded and makes some conversation after he finished grinding the beans for the detective's drink. "Still hunting for the Phantom Thieves?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm afraid the case has hit a dead end." He sighed, using his hand to prop up his cheek on the counter. "I don't suppose you have any information?"  
  
"Me?" Akira scoffed. "To hear my classmates tell it, I wasn't out because I was sick, but because I had my heart changed and I confessed to all of my terrible crimes."  
  
"That's...unfortunate." Akechi replied, gaze sharpening. "No one delivered a calling card or anything to you, correct?"  
  
"Nah. They only seem to care about real crimes, not unsubstantiated rumors. I've been keeping my nose clean, officer." He smirked. Akechi looked away and coughed into his arm.  
  
"I've been watching a lot of TV lately." Akira continued, "I think I saw the same interview about your food blog about three times. Riveting stuff." he said dryly, and Akechi's smile warmed.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid there is a lot of fluff in those interviews. I feel less like a junior detective at times and more like an idol." He confided, watching as Akira added freshly steamed milk and foam to the cup.  
  
"I can't do fancy latte art yet but I'm working on it." Akira said apologetically as he set the cup and saucer down in front of Akechi. "Try it out."  
  
"Not bad.” Akechi says after his first sip. “You say you're a novice barista but this coffee is one of the better brews I've ever tasted."  
  
"Someday, the master will teach me the trick to whatever magic he does. I just have to commit to the long con." Akira leaned on the bar on his elbows and waggled his eyebrows. This again pulled another sincere (or at least more relaxed) smile from the other boy.  
  
Akechi used the rest of his cafe visit to do some homework over coffee. Akira did some tidying up, then began to fill in a crossword that a patron left behind. Sojiro stepped out to get something from the grocery store before it closed, leaving the two boys alone in the shop together.  
  
The evening news covered more details of Madarame's past students coming out of the woodwork and confirming all of the counts of plagiarism the man had confessed to over a week ago. Akira looked over from the TV to find Akechi watching him with interest.  
  
"It seems like something out of a fantasy novel or a sci-fi thriller, doesn't it?" He asked, then nodded at the TV. "Criminals who have their hearts changed and are forced to feel guilty and then confess to what they've done."

  
"I suppose it does." Akira replied thoughtfully. "If it were possible, I would wonder why no one has done it before now. Or what happens if they change the heart of someone who hasn't done anything wrong."  
  
"If it were possible," Akechi echoed blandly, "Then perhaps they’d have methods of determining someone’s true nature through their heart.”  
  
“Hmm. It sounds like you've been watching too much Space Trek to me.”  
  
“It’s an intriguing thought experiment at least.” Akechi stated, letting the topic go. But the Akira paused to give it some real thought.

 ** _Caution, Trickster. This is another player in the cruel game you're_ _in_ _. We can’t kno_ _w_ _what side he is on._** Arsene chimed in unhelpfully, reminding Akira of his difficulties in taking Akechi at face value. The other teen had tight control over himself even when he wasn't on TV. Like he was a robot or alien pretending to be a human.  
  
When he was engaged in conversation with Akira he would often have moments of sincerity or Akira would see a glint of challenge in Akechi's eyes. Akira wanted to push out of curiosity, but was usually reigned in by the knowledge that Sojiro was nearby and would chastise him for bothering customers.  
  
But Sojiro wasn't there.  
  
"Those Phantom Thieves are getting popular." Akira said as offhandedly as he could. He sipped from his now cold cup of tea and tapped his pencil against his crossword. "I can't go a day without hearing something about how mysterious or magical they are when it's all probably just glorified blackmail."  
  
Akechi took the bait because of course he did. He was fishing for something but Akira didn't know what. "There has been no evidence of blackmail thus far, but it still can't be ruled out.”  
  
"Well if I'm their next target they're going to have a lot of trouble finding something to stick me with. Everyone at school already knows all my dirty laundry." He goes out on a limb, wondering about Akechi's reaction "And I didn't do anything wrong to begin with so there's nothing to feel guilty about."  
  
The detective only nodded thoughtfully and then caught himself. "Ah--forgive me for the intrusion, but after I realized you could be the same Akira Kurusu as the one on the Phan-Site I did some research on you. Are you saying the charges that led to your probation were false?”  
  
Akira met Akechi's eyes and nodded once. He didn't seem at all surprised and wasn't pretending to be.  
  
"I'm the unfortunate victim of corruption and lies. But I've decided to make the most of the situation while I'm here."  
  
"Corruption?" Akechi echoed, expression neutral. “That's a bold claim to make."  
  
Akira shrugged. "Seems to be what it was. Some politician with a god complex claims some kid assaulted him on the street. He greases some palms, threatens the only witness into lying, and here I am. I don't even remember what the guy looked like."  
  
"That is...unfortunate." Akechi replied sincerely, his expression serious.  
  
"Kind of wish I could sic the Phantom Thieves on him.” Akira tried, hoping he was being as subtle as he thought he was. “But he kept his name and identifying information out of all of the court documents. That, and I'm sure they wouldn't be able to blackmail someone that powerful. They seem like small-time urban legend vigilantes."  
  
"If only they really could change hearts," Akechi replied regretfully, but there was something to his tone that wasn't quite right. Akira looked up.  
  
_**Careful** ,_ Arsene reminded him but didn't say to stop.  
  
"If the power was real, it could be incredibly dangerous."  
  
"Yes, but wouldn't you like to have it? Just to change one heart?" Akechi shot back with a raised eyebrow.  
  
Akira took a moment and gathered his thoughts. Akechi waited patiently for his answer, watching with undisguised interest.  
  
"I think if I had that power I would have major reservations about using it. I've thought about it, certainly. Wanting to turn the tables on the man that got me arrested, having him be the one that's ostracized and humiliated."  
  
Akechi nodded emphatically in agreement but didn't interrupt.  
  
"I'm sure I want that guy to ruin himself. But with that kind of power, would I be able to stop myself from doing it again? What if I decide to help one person but not another? Or what if change the wrong person? What constitutes a 'bad enough' crime? Even worse, what if it sends me on a power trip? I'd end up becoming someone I couldn't stand."  
  
Akira snapped out of his ruminations and felt self-conscious when he noticed the Akechi silently scrutinizing him. This was probably the most he'd said about his feelings surrounding his probation to anyone. He'd certainly never brought up such a dark subject with Haru or Futaba.  
  
"It's nice to think about when I'm having a particularly rough day. A guilty little vindictive pleasure." He tacked on, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a conversation about me. Sojiro'd kill me if he knew I was emotion-dumping on a customer."  
  
Akechi shook his head at Akira's apology. "On the contrary, I find your perspective refreshing. Many people our age haven't thought through the consequences of vigilante justice."  
  
They branched off into safer topics after that. Arsene relaxed and faded into the background of his mind again.  
  
They finished up Akira's crossword just as Sojiro made his return. Akechi took off not long after with a promise to return soon.

* * *

  
  
Takamaki tried to talk to him again after class for who knows what reason but he shrugged her off and headed upstairs. Haru was busy harvesting their first crop of green beans. Akira joined in by following her around and taking pictures to document their bounty.  
  
Later they went around to give individual attention to each of their melon plants. Akira did as Haru asked, kneeling in the dirt and putting in plant supports and counting blossoms while Haru handed him lengths of twine and recorded the numbers. It was soothing work.  
  
"I trained the cucumber vines to climb the trellis after I watched a tutorial video online. Here, Akira, move the stake to the left. A little more. Excellent!  
  
"And we’ll want to devise a plan for supporting the watermelons as they grow. I only see two fruits so far but they have been growing surprisingly quickly."  
  
Akira hummed in agreement as he glanced up at the watermelon plant in the next plot over. It was so large that it was now encroaching on its neighbors.  
  
"It _is_ growing fast" he confirmed. "It was a sprout the last time I really looked at it." He grinned up at Haru. "You must be doing something right!"  
  
She lit up at the praise, but still shook her head. "We both did."  
  
Akira took a moment to admire Haru's smile and how the sunlight made her hair shine. He must have taken a little too long because her brows eventually furrowed in confusion.  
  
"Uh." he could feel his cheeks heating up as he remembered Sojiro's prodding to get Haru to visit Leblanc. "On Sunday--if you're not doing anything--boss said you should. Uh."  
  
He chanced a glance up as he mangled his invite. Haru was now trying to hide a smile.  
  
"Would you like to come to Leblanc? On Sunday? I could make you a cup of coffee." He held his breath after making the clumsy offer. He was a mess.  
  
"I'd be delighted to." Haru replied fondly, brushing some of her curls behind her ear. He noted that her cheeks were unusually pink.  
  
Akira smiled despite the nervous charge in his stomach. "And if it's terrible, let me know and I'll get Boss to make you another."  
  
"It's a date!”

* * *

  
  
Takamaki's gang of probable Phantom Thieves followed him to work for his second shift that week. The first time Akira spotted them, he genuinely thought Takamaki and her new friend were browsing the underground mall's shops. It wasn't until an hour later that he noticed Nijima casually reading on a bench and Sakamoto on his phone outside the music store. It seemed they'd learned some subtlety.  
  
Akira took advantage of a lull in between customers to restock some of the decorative vases that were stored on a display at the back of the shop. He had his head down when he heard some distant noise.  
  
"HEY!" a woman shouted, and this was followed by a dog barking aggressively. This set off even more chaos and people yelling. Akira picked his head up to look out into the mall. Hanasaki-san waved for him to stay put so he went back to his chore.  
  
The next angry bark came from much closer, like the dog was headed towards the shop. Akira cringed at the cacophony from his spot kneeling on the floor. He payed it no mind until he heard a particularly loud and fearful screech.  
  
"Dog---DOG! GO AWAY!" A child screamed. Concerned, Akira moved to stand and investigate but was hit in the solar plexus with a black and white blur at just the wrong moment. He lost his footing and fell into the vase display.  
  
Akira shut his eyes tightly and instinctively hugged the thing in his arms close as he toppled. His shoulder hit something hard that gave way and suddenly all he heard was glass shattering and people shouting.  
  
A little dazed but no worse for wear, Akira cracked an eye open to see Takamaki's cat perched on his chest, growling in the direction of the mall with his ears pinned to his head and his fur standing on end.  
  
The owner of the dog finally caught up to their pet and apologized profusely to Hanasaki-san. Akira sat up, making the cat jump down. The cat flinched back as soon as his paws touched the floor and Akira spotted a smear of red. The shop floor was covered in shards of glass.  
  
He scooped up the cat as he got back on his feet. Akira scanned the crowd but there was no sign of Takamaki or her friends. The florist waved off concerned passers-by and placated them. When the last of them were gone, the florist turned to Akira.  
  
"Hanasa--"  
  
"This isn't working out." She interrupted tersely, looking over his shoulder instead of making eye contact. "Between your recent unreliability, your friends hanging around the shop and--" She lowered her voice "--these rumors I'm hearing--I think it's best that you leave."  
  
Akira gives the woman a long, measured look, then at the people outside of the shop who were obviously eavesdropping. They whispered to one another and glared in his direction.  
  
_This again?_  
  
He shoved down his rapidly blossoming anger and decided to save his breath. He nodded once to his former employer and skillfully removes his apron while keeping hold of Takamaki's cat. In under a minute he left the florist without a word or backward glance.  
  
He stalked off, head held high, only stopping when the cat in his arms whined. Akira stopped to look--one of kitty’s paws was stained red.  
  
"You're bleeding." Akira sighed. The closest thing he had to a handkerchief was the bandanna around the cat's neck. He slipped it off and gently covered the cat's injured foot. Other than a low grumble, there was no protest or struggle. He even allowed Akira to scratch his head and chin again in apology. Truly a chill guy.  
  
Takamaki and her companions were nowhere in sight. Not even a blue glow around a corner. Akira gave up searching for the moment and prioritized the cat’s health and safety instead. He had a first aid kit back in the attic. If he could convince the boss to allow the cat to stay at Leblanc or at his house overnight he could find Takamaki in the morning or just bring the cat to school on Monday.  
  
"Looks like Takamaki split." he told the world's most patient cat. "I guess you're coming with me for the night."  
  
They passed by the woman with the dog as Akira made his way towards the train. The cat hissed angrily and growled as they passed.  
  
"I feel ya. It sucks being bullied." Akira rubbed the cat's head to soothe him.

* * *

  
The cat allowed Akira to carry him all the way to Leblanc. The door's bell jingled as he stepped inside to see Akechi enjoying a cup of coffee while watching TV with Sojiro.  
  
"Welcome back!" Akechi greeted, looking curiously at Akira's companion.  
  
"Kid..." Sojiro started. Akira quickly tried to get an explanation out. He struggled with how to start and what came out first was--  
  
"I got fired today."  
  
His audience reacted with twin expressions of dumbfounded surprise.  
  
"You...got fired and impulse adopted a cat?" Sojiro attempted to clarify as Akechi unsuccessfully attempted to hide a grin. "How did you get fired?"  
  
"I had some help." Akira scratched the cat under the chin and was rewarded with loud purring. "A dog was chasing him and he came running into the shop. We ended up knocking over some vases and I think that was the last straw for Hanasaki-san. The kitty belongs to one of my classmates and I guess he recognized me in the crowd. He stepped in some glass but otherwise he seems fine."  
  
Sojiro was truly at a loss. Akira grinned, knowing how ridiculous his story was. "Can he stay the night? I don't know how long it will take me to get his owner's contact information."  
  
"Mrrr." added the cat, and Akira moved to pet his ears.  
  
"An animal in a cafe is a major health code violation, you know." Sojiro said in an attempt to be stern. Akira adopted the "sad puppy eyes" strategy that Futaba suggested last week.  
  
"Just for the night?" Sojiro asked, caving almost instantly.  
  
Akira confirmed with a nod. "I think I can get his owner's number through Haru. But in the worst case scenario I'll be able to hand him over Monday morning."  
  
"Make sure you clean up after him. What's his name?"  
  
"I've never asked. He doesn't have a collar or tags, just a bandanna." It occurred to Akira that said bandanna was bloodstained and still wrapped around the injured paw. "I need to get him upstairs so I can make sure his foot is okay."  
  
"I'll join you," Akechi chimed in as he set his empty cup down. "You might need assistance keeping him still long enough to examine his injury."  
  
Akira warmed at the offer. "Yeah. Come on up."

* * *

  
  
"OWWWWWRRRR"  
  
"Sorry, kitty! Ah--hang on to him!"  
  
"I am _trying_. He is much more difficult than I previously--"  
  
"OW!" The cat let out a strangled yowl that sounded almost human. To the poor thing's credit, he did not bite or claw either of his captors.  
  
"Looks clean. Let's wrap it up." Akira murmured as he reached for the gauze and tape. Akira glanced up to Akechi's face as he concentrated on holding the cat stationary. The junior detective's hair was mussed and his eyes were wide with either worry, panic, or both. The cat's tail swished back and forth wildly in agitation.  
  
When Akira was satisfied with his work, he nodded to Akechi and they let they let the cat go. The cat immediately sprinted away all of three steps before he stopped to groom himself. Other than shaking his front paw once, he didn't seem to mind the bandage.  
  
"Thanks" Akira grinned at Akechi. "I don't think he would have let me do that by myself."  
  
"I'm happy to assist. But, I wonder--what was your classmate's cat doing running wild in Shibuya?" He shifted into a more comfortable position on the floor which just so happened to be a little closer to the cat.  
  
Since he was talking to Goro Akechi, detractor and hunter of Phantom Thieves, Akira decided to keep it vague. The thieves were annoying but they didn't deserve to be arrested as far as he knew.  
  
"I've seen my classmate shopping down in the underground mall a few times with the cat in her bag. I know he wanders around the school on his own because he visits us on the roof. Maybe he likes to window shop?"  
  
To Akira's delight, Akechi rolled his eyes at the lame joke.  
  
Akira shrugged back and then busied himself taking a picture of the cat to send to Haru.

>    
> Akira: <attached image>  
> Akira: Look who followed me home!  
> Akira: Do you have Nijima's number? She would have Takamaki's and I'd like to get our chill friend home ASAP.

>   
> Haru: Oh my goodness! Is that a bandage?  
> Haru: I will send her a message right away!

>   
> Akira: Yeah, but he'll be fine. Thanks, Haru!

  
Akira set his phone down and started packing the first aid kit away.  
  
Kitty was now washing his face and the boys watched in silence. Akechi seemed oddly fascinated by it. Maybe he'd never had a pet before? From what Akira could gather, he didn't have an easy childhood.  
  
"I think he'll make it. Haru's trying to contact someone who has his owner's number."  
  
"Excellent." Akechi replied, leaning his back against Akira's bed.  
  
Akira crumpled up a spare sheet of paper and tossed it to the floor. Akechi looked up at Akira in confusion until the cat rushed forward and tackled it. Akechi watched in wonder as the cat proceeded to bat the paper ball across the floor.  
  
When his phone pinged with Haru's reply he realized he'd been staring. He ducked his head and checked his messages, thankful he hadn't been noticed.  
  
Haru had sent along Takamaki's number, which she got from Nijima. Akira snapped a quick picture of the cat kicking the ball of paper with his back legs to the new number. The response was almost immediate.

 

>   
>   
> Akira: Hey, this is Kurusu from school  
> Akira: <attached image>  
> Akira: missing someone?  
>   
> Takamaki :  ohmygodddd you found him!!!  
> Takamaki : I'm so so so sorry!!!  
>   
> Akira : Where can I meet you to drop of Mr. Cat tomorrow?  
>   
> Takamaki : Did you get into a lot of trouble at work?  
>   
> Akira: Yes  
>   
> Takamaki : Oh my god. Oh no, I'm so sorry, Kurusu-kun!  
> Takamaki : Can I make it up to you?  
>   
> Akira : Just forget it. Where can I meet you to drop off the cat?  
>   
> Takamaki : :(  
> Takamaki : Me and my friends will be in the access way in Shibuya overlooking Central Street around 11!  
> Takamaki : You can just open your bag and tell Morgana it's time to leave. He'll know what to do!  
> Takamaki : He travels really well! Thank you so much for taking care of him!  
> Takamaki : See you tomorrow! :)

  
Akira thought about asking Haru to accompany him as a human shield but it was just a little too cowardly to disrupt her morning because he didn't want his classmates to ask him questions.  
  
It occurred to him that if Takamaki wouldn't have known he was at work unless she had been nearby when Morgana was chased away. Was this a mistake on her part or had they given up on hiding? Curious. He mulled this over until Akechi caught his eye. Akira pocketed his phone.  
  
"It turns out that his name is Morgana and I'm meeting up with his owner in the morning to drop him off."  
  
"Isn't Morgana a feminine name?"  
  
Akira shrugged in response. "You want to play a video game? I'm told they're 'tragically retro' but they're still fun."  
  
"I suppose..."

 

* * *

  
  
Later, long after Akechi went home, Akira was laying on the bed and reading through an article Futaba sent. Morgana was curled up next to him and purring. It was nice to have company overnight in the otherwise silent and still attic. He would have loved to have a pet to keep him company especially through those first few nights in Tokyo when unfamiliar noises and anxiety kept him awake for hours.  
  
He could see why Takamaki kept the cat with her all the time. It was calming to have a fuzzy companion nearby.  
  
With a wide yawn, Akira plugged his phone in and placed it on the windowsill before turning to curl up on his side next to the cat.  
  
"I'll get you back to Takamaki tomorrow, okay Morgana? I'm sure she misses you." he said as the cat stretched and turned over with a sigh. Akira scratched his chin again and was rewarded with more purring.  
  
"It's weird that they left you behind though. I thought there was honor among Phantom Thieves."  
  
Morgana surged to his feet, eyes wild and tail puffed out again. " _WHAT_??" He demanded.  
  
Demanded.  
  
In a very _human_ voice.  
  
"wh...what?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a monster that kept growing and growing. It got out of hand. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I love all of your comments! They keep me going!


	5. Crossroads - Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cat talks.

"This isn't real. I'm dreaming or I'm hallucinating because _cats don't talk, Akira._ " He told himself, palms pressed into his eyes. "I have got to get this under control."  
  
"I'm not a cat", came a petulant voice that wasn't a cat still sitting on the bed with him.  
  
"Then what _are_ you? You're cat shaped." He argued back, still covering his eyes and trying not to panic. He tried to breathe slowly and deeply.  
  
"I'm a human! I just had an accident and lost my memory. I'm trying to figure out how to get back to normal. And just who are you, anyway? Normal people can't hear me!"  
  
"Normal? I must be normal because I can't hear a talking cat"  
  
"Not a cat!"  
  
"I can't hear a talking cat shaped human"  
  
"Better."  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
Akira lifted one hand away from his face. Morgana was watching him curiously.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Uh. Yeah. Just give me a minute. I've been through some really weird stuff lately."  
  
_I did not just hear a cat talk. It isn't possible. Cats don't speak Japanese. They aren't physically capable of speech._  
  
**_It should have been impossible for you to enter the Metaverse, but here we are_.**  
  
_I'm still not convinced you're not a figment of my imagination._  
  
**_Denial is unhealthy, Trickster._**  
  
_So is hearing voices,_ Arsene.  
  
**_He could make a valuable ally._**  
  
_Do you think Takamaki and her friends know that he talks?_  
  
**_It is highly probable._**  
  
_Fuck._  
  
"Okay." Akira tried, breathing out slowly.  "You're in the shape of a cat and you talk. Your name is Morgana. You're a Phantom Thief, right?"  
  
"Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not!"  
  
"Okay, you're the Phantom Thieves' mascot. Got it."  
  
"What! Hey!"  
  
Akira smirked as he uncovered his face. Morgana's tail was swishing with irritation and his ears were folded back.  
  
"Let's say you're a Phantom Thief. Can you tell your friends to leave me alone? You've been with me all afternoon. I'm not a criminal no matter what they say at school."  
  
"I'll say. You're boring."  
  
"Gee, thanks."  
  
"You're _not_ supposed to be able to hear me! Only people who have access to--well, you just shouldn't!"  
  
"Access to the Metaverse?"  
  
Morgana began to growl. "Who are you? Are you the black mask?!"  
  
"Whoa, hey!" Akira jumped back. "Don't bite! Stuff keeps happening to _me_. I don't go looking for trouble. What mask?"  
  
The cat stopped growling and pricked his ears forward. "You're serious! You don't know??"  
  
"No! Well, probably not. I got this stupid app on my phone that I can't delete and it took me to a weird hellish version of the subway system and I was attacked by a monster with a chain fetish and a big gun!"  
  
Akira had never seen a cat's eyes bug out. It was _wrong_ somehow.  
  
"YOU WHAT?!! That's the reaper! You fought the reaper!?"  
  
"'fought' is a generous term for what happened. I got my ass kicked and almost died. My rebel's soul or whatever stalled for time and I ran."  
  
"So you DO have a persona! No wonder we couldn't find you!"  
  
"A what?"  
  
"UUUGGHHHH, a persona, frizzy hair! A manifestation of your inner self taken corporeal form."  
  
"Maybe? Either that or I'm hearing voices. And seeing things. And hallucinating a talking cat."  
  
"What about Akechi?"  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"You knew we were the Phantom Thieves this whole time and you didn't rat us out. Why?"  
  
"It's none of my business." Akira tried, looking away.  
  
 _ **Liar.**_  
  
Morgana scrutinized him closely, but didn't press.  
  
"What's a talking not-cat doing with a bunch of high school kids anyway? Why not someone rich and powerful? Or at least an adult?"  
  
"Not everyone can hear me, remember? Anyway, we've struck a mutually beneficial deal. I help them become master thieves and they help me get my memories back. "  
  
"You lost your memories? That sucks."  
  
"Yeah." Morgana responded, ears and whiskers drooping as he thought about it. Akira tried to think of something to change the subject, but what do you say to a talking not-cat?  
  
"How's your paw?"  
  
"Oh, this? It's not too bad. Just a scratch." the little cat-creature replied, puffing out his chest a little with confidence. It was adorable.  
  
"Just a scratch, huh?" Akira tried not to laugh. "You sure made a lot of noise for a scratch."  
  
"Wha--It hurt! You were pressing on it! And Akechi was holding me too tight!" Morgana bristled, and Akira wondered if cats could blush.  
  
"So..." Akira began, unsure how to get a straight answer. He decided on the direct approach. "Did you mean for all this to happen today?"  
  
"No! That stupid dog came out of nowhere! And-and you were right there and I couldn't find Lady Ann and the dog was going to eat me! We were just supposed to do recon and then talk to you after your shift."  
  
_Lady_ Ann? Akira got the feeling that his laughter would not be well received.  
  
"All right. But can you tell your friends to leave me alone? Or just ask me whatever you want to know now so you can stop spying and wrecking my life."  
  
"...sorry. You were voted to the top of the targets list and then you disappeared for a while. And when we looked again, you didn't have a shadow."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"I shouldn't give away trade secrets to an outsider. " Morgana decided, lifting his nose in an expression that was more cute than haughty.  
  
"Phantom Thieves only, huh? Okay, kitty." He really was tired now that he was done with his freak out. The kind of tired you feel deep in your bones, that a good nights sleep couldn't chase away. Not that it would stop him from trying. Akira gently pet Morgana's head again.  
  
"We'll get you back to Lady Takamaki in the morning. Sound good?"  
  
"Yeah. And thanks. You're all right."  
  
"Tell that to your friends." Akira yawned, and was asleep soon after, comforted by the sound of Morgana's steady purrs.

 

* * *

  
  
He woke to Morgana sitting on his chest, grooming his face as he waited for Akira to wake up.  
  
"Hey, did I dream that?" He asked.  
  
To his disappointment, Morgana sent him a dry look and said "Nope."  
  
"Cool."

It was not cool.  
  
"So I've been thinking...."  
  
"So I've been sleeping...."  
  
"Very funny, frizzy hair."  
  
"I think you know my name is Akira."  
  
"Well _I_ think you should join the Phantom Thieves." Morgana continued seriously, then patiently awaited Akira's response.  
  
"Why? You all seem to be doing fine without me. I attract a lot of attention."  
  
"Well for one, we don't want to turn away any potential allies. And my intuition tells me there's something different about you."  
  
"I bet you say that to all the impressionable teenage delinquents." Akira stretched his arms above his head, trying to work out a tense shoulder.  
  
"Oh come on!" Morgana cried in exasperation, and Akira could feel him flexing his claws against his chest. "We're helping people! We stopped a guy that abused cats! And Kamoshida! And that rotten principal that was letting him get away with it! _And_ we caught that artist that was abusing his students and stealing their work. Get it? We're making the world a better place!"  
  
"It's a good thing your confession isn't admissible in court." Akira responded as Morgana confirmed his long-standing suspicions.  
  
"Isn't there anyone's heart you'd like to change? A rotten adult? Bullies at school?" Morgana tried.  
  
"Well there are these three people that seem to cause a lot of trouble for me..." Akira mused.

"Yeah?" Morgana's ears perked forward.  
  
"But I hear they're part of this gang called 'The Phantom Thieves'."  
  
"I _said_ we were sorry! We really didn't mean for you to get fired. We just wanted to make sure we got to talk to you before you disappeared again."  
  
"So talk. What did you want to ask me?"  
  
"Well...If what you say is true and you have a persona, we know why your shadow disappeared from Mementos. And you said you've only been there once?"  
  
"To my knowledge, yes. And I'm not looking to go back any time soon."  
  
"And it wouldn't make sense that you're the black mask. You've only been here since April, right?"  
  
"Yep. Shipped off to the big city for a year."  
  
"I suppose that's the end of our investigation, then."  
  
"Cool. I need to run an errand before I drop you off with Takamaki. Do you mind if we go early?"  
  
"What, no breakfast? The curry smelled so good."  
  
"Sojiro only bought you the one can of cat food and I don't think he'd like it if I fed his curry to a cat."  
  
Akira got up and dragged a cat-sized bag out from underneath the bed. Morgana followed, sniffing it.  
  
"Well...Will you bring some for lunch this week? I can have some then, right?"  
  
Akira paused in getting dressed as it dawned on him. "Wow, you've been spying on me for a long time, haven't you? And here I thought you liked our company."  
  
Morgana was stricken, which was again a very strange emotion to see on an animal’s face. Even if he hadn't heard Morgana talk how had he missed all of this un-feline behavior for so long?  
  
"I do! I like the roof! You and Haru share your lunch and you're both so nice! I only went up there a couple times to spy, I swear!" Akira could hear an upset yowl through Morgana's words and he knew the noise would carry downstairs. Sojiro was already there, shuffling around and Akira didn't want to have to explain why he was conversing with a cat.  
  
"Okay, okay! I believe you. Shhh." Akira soothed, even going so far as to run a hand along Morgana's back. Despite his assertions otherwise, he was very much a cat, at least in this. Morgana’s butt even popped up a little when Akira scratched the base of his tail where it met his back.   
  
"You really don't want to join?" Morgana asked after his long, silent study of Akira as he cleaned up and got ready for the day.  
  
"Vigilante justice isn't my style. I'm not planning on reporting any of you unless you decide to do something evil or whatever." He replied as he sat next to Morgana to pull his shoes on.  
  
"We all unanimously decide on our targets! Everyone has an equal say. And we're helping people!"  
  
"Do you _really_ want to have an ethics discussion about this?"  
  
"What's so unethical about helping innocent people or stopping bad ones?"  
  
"From what I gather, this changing heart business is more complicated than a guilt trip or blackmail. Right?"  
  
"Yup!"  
  
"So you're doing...something...that's making a person change personalities overnight. That doesn't bother you?"  
  
"Not when it's a bad person! If no one listens when you report a bad guy or if they cover it up, what else can we do?"  
  
"Even if you need to do it once or twice to save people, I find it hard to believe that changing a person so much is the best answer for all of these cases you're credited with so far. Would it have been impossible to catch Kamoshida on video? Record the principal? Even doing a little more detective work could have uncovered the scam that the artist guy was running."  
  
"We're using the power we have to change the injustice around us. We're NOT bad."  
  
"I didn't say you were. I just don't want to get involved. I have enough on my plate and now I need to go find another job on top of everything else."  
  
"Will you at least think about it?" Morgana looked so sad and so earnest that Akira felt himself cave a little. Those drooping whiskers were hard to refuse.  
  
"I’ll think about it." He unzipped his bag and held it open. "Let's get going."

 

* * *

  
Akira tromped down the stairs to find Sojiro just about ready to open for the day, nursing his own cup of coffee and reading a newspaper with a morning talk show on for background noise.  
  
"Leaving already? Where's the cat?"  
  
Akira turned around so Sojiro could see Morgana's face poking of the back of his bag.  
  
"Huh. Well that's something. He's okay with that?" Sojiro asked, reaching out to pet a delighted Morgana. Akira could hear him purring again.   
  
"His owner does it all the time. I've seen them out and about and he seems to like it. He got in the bag himself."  
  
Sojiro let it go. "All right. And stay out of trouble today!" He added with a half-smile.  
  
Akira was nonplussed for a moment before he realized Sojiro was just attempting some light-hearted ribbing. He smiled back. "I'll try."  
  
Morgana meowed out a "Bye, boss!" as Akira opened the door.  
  
"Morgana says bye!" Akira translated. Before the door to Leblanc closed he saw Sojiro shaking his head in amusement.

 

* * *

  
  
Morgana kept up a running commentary about their surroundings as Akira made his way through Akihabara to acquire a specific printer for Futaba. It was the only place that had it in stock and Futaba said it was taking her too long to convince Sojiro to make the trip. She called it a 'Minion Quest' and Akira was simultaneously honored and just a little miffed at being demoted to 'minion'.  
  
"Why would you want to go to a cafe with a bunch of maids?" Morgana asked after he read a loud poster advertising some of the districts more esoteric offerings. Akira could just imagine him wrinkling his nose in childish disgust.  
  
"I'll tell you when you're older." Akira quipped, which seemed to go over the feline's head.  
  
"And why are there so many capsule machines?" Morgana rustled around in the bag and suddenly Akira had two little paws on his shoulder as Morgana pulled himself for a better look.  "Hey hey! Can we get one? What's in 'em?"  
  
"Little toys. Figures of anime characters or superheroes." He checked his pocket for coins, careful not to jostle his hitchhiker. "I remember wanting a Jack Frost when I was a kid but I was never lucky enough. Which machine do you want to try?"  
  
Morgana let out a little gasp of excitement. "Really!?"  
  
Akira shrugged. "It's not like we're in a hurry."  
  
"How about that one? No, one more to the left. Yeah!"  
  
Akira inserted his coins and cranked the dial. Akira presented the capsule that popped out to Morgana as he leaned forward for inspection. "That's it?"   
  
Akira chuckled, popping it open. A little pumpkin-headed figurine fell out into his hand. A Pyro Jack, the paper insert claimed. Something about it tickled Akira's memory, but he was quickly sidetracked by the awed "Wow!" in his ear.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"That’s—it’s cool! But what does it _do_?"  
  
"Not a lot. You collect them and show off when you get a rare one. They're just nice to collect."  
  
"It doesn't even move?"  
  
"Sorry, not this line."  
  
"Aw..."

 

* * *

  
  
Morgana turned out to be a solid navigator. Akira received a number of surprised looks from people about the cat half-balanced on his shoulders, but they were mostly curious or amused. Even if he had to pay the extra pet fare on the subway, it was a nice change from the every day routine.  
  
They reached the access way at five after eleven and all of the thieves were in attendance.  
  
"Hey." He greeted as Takamaki and Nijima spotted him at the same time. "Missing someone?"  
  
"Hi, guys!" Morgana chirped, then tapped on Akira's shoulder. "Go on, Akira, tell them!"  
  
All four of the teens recoiled and stared at Akira with wide eyes.  
  
"Your friend here is really chatty." He evaded, not meeting any of their eyes as he pulled the cat off his shoulder.  
  
"FORREAL?!" Sakamoto all but shouted. Nijima restrained him by the shoulder and Takamaki shushed him. The other boy Akira hadn't learned the name of observed in thoughtful silence.  
  
"Uhh...We're really sorry about yesterday." Takamaki ventured, glossing over the elephant in the room as they waited for passers-by to start ignoring them again.  
  
"Yeah, a little kitty told me that getting me fired wasn't the plan. Can you guys leave me alone now?"  
  
"I'm not a cat, I _told_ you!" Morgana cut in, eyes flashing and tail flicking.  
  
"Figure of speech." Akira grinned, handing him to Takamaki.  
  
"It is NOT!" The not-cat replied indignantly.  
  
He was far more defensive about his feline shape than he had been that morning when it was just the two of them. Or maybe he felt like Akira had finally had enough time to know better. In any case, it seemed to truly bother his new fuzzy friend.   
  
"Sorry, buddy. I'll stop." He told Morgana, contrite, then glanced up to Takamaki's face.  
  
"Well, there you go, safe and sound. Later." He turned and took all of one step away before the Phantom Thieves began to protest, some louder than others.  
  
The loudest being Sakamoto, who went as far as grabbing Akira's free arm.  
  
His entire body turned rigid at the touch and his head snapped towards the offending hand and then to Sakamoto's eyes. Whatever expression was on his face sent the other boy scrambling back a couple steps as Akira yanked his arm out of reach.  
  
"Whoa, hey man. Sorry. We just wanna talk." He blurted, holding his hands up defensively.  
  
"No thank you." Akira shot back, then continued on his way.  
  
**_That's all?_   **Arsene inquired, disappointed.  
  
Yeah, what else was new?

  
He brought the printer over to the Sakura home but Futaba wouldn't come out of her room.  
  
"Just leave it there, okay? I'll get to it later." She said, her voice muffled by the door between them. Was he imagining things or did she sound like she'd been crying?  
  
"Futaba..." He started, not sure what to say. "Are you...?"  
  
"It's fine! Thanks for making the trip! I'll text you later, okay?" She answered rapidly, and Akira noted the plea in her words. He wouldn’t push.   
  
"Okay...", he set the bag with the little printer within easy reach just outside of her bedroom door. "Bye, Futaba." He called softly, reluctantly leaving for the cafe.   
  
He heard—and had to ignore—an answering sniffle.

 

* * *

 

>   
> Futaba: Just a bad day  
> Futaba: Thank you for finishing the printer quest! +300xp  
>             
> Akira: How many xp to the next level?  
>       
> Futaba: It'll be at *least* another couple more fetch quests  
>   

* * *

  
  
There were customers in the Leblanc so Akira held off on asking Sojiro about his daughter until it was quieter. Akechi was flipping through a newspaper at his usual seat at the bar. He smiled and nodded politely when he noticed Akira behind the counter.  
  
Akira was able to practice making cappuccinos and some basic milk foam art before couple times before Haru arrived. His two critics-slash-guinea-pigs assessed the visual and flavor quality of his practice runs with some over the top hemming and hawing.  
  
Akira was sampling his own beverage when the cafe door jingled and Haru entered. She looked lovelier than usual. Hair a little glossier, standing a bit straighter, and combined with her cute ruffled skirt she was radiant. For a moment, all Akira could feel was an excited yet nervous churning in his stomach. She smiled at him, amused, then pointed at her upper lip.  
  
He hurriedly wiped the milk foam from his face and addressed his guest.  
  
"Welcome to Leblanc! Please have a seat." Akira greeted with a grandiose sweeping of his arm, indicating a place at the bar where he had placed a fancy 'reserved' card stock stand-up.  
  
Haru flushed, almost shy. Sojiro and Akechi were pretending not to pay attention. Sojiro was doing a better job.  
  
"The boss you've met. This is--"  
  
"Why hello, Akechi-kun! Did you decide to make this your regular cafe after all?"  
  
"Good afternoon, Haru-san. And yes. After tasting Leblanc's coffee I just couldn't stay away."  
  
"When did this happen and how much gossiping did you do?" Akira joked, feeling unexpectedly relieved that Haru and Akechi were at least friendly acquaintances.  
  
"Not long ago, I assure you. Haru-san was dropping off your missed school work with Boss and we discovered we had a common interest in drinking fine coffee in good company."  
  
Smooth _._  
  
They passed the rest of the afternoon with some casual chatter and Akira ended up having a nice time with all four of them gathered in the cafe. No one talked about phantom thieves or talking cats or about school. Haru immediately had suggestions and a positive attitude towards his newly unemployed status. She was unwavering in her belief that Akira would be able to find a steady job if he just kept looking. Akechi also waved off any concern Akira expressed, citing his unique perspective in having observed Akira at both of his jobs. He agreed wholeheartedly with Haru.

  
By the time Haru left a couple hours later, Akira felt much calmer--almost at peace. Akechi, who also seemed to have a nice time, left not long after with a real smile and a promise to return soon.  
  
When Akira prepared for bed that evening he placed the Pyro Jack figurine on the shelf next to his bed to brighten things up a little.

 

* * *

  
  
Akira had such a nice Sunday afternoon that he almost forgot about phantom thieves until he ran into Nijima on his way through the school building. She looked like she was trying to catch his eye but Akira very unsubtly looked away and gave her a wide berth. He didn't _rush_ up the nearest stairwell, but he didn't move slowly either.  
  
It had been pouring rain all morning. By lunch, the sky was still dark and there were still drops of water gently tapping on the window panes next to him. Haru was busy so Akira was left to his own devices for lunch. He stayed put at his desk for lack of any better options.  
  
Right as he dug in, two familiar faces entered the room.  
  
"Hi, Akira-kun!" Takamaki greeted, Sakamoto in tow. He looked less than eager to be there. Akira could relate. The two gossipy girls in the corner stopped talking so that they could spy on the unusual interaction. Akira decided not to respond.  
  
Undeterred, Takamaki casually flopped down into her chair and turned to sit sideways so she could have easy access to pester Akira. Sakamoto had a seat in a desk in the next row that was just out of reach.  
  
"Mind if we join you for lunch?" She asked, not waiting for a response before pulling food out of her school bag. She handed some to Sakamoto like they'd done this a hundred times before.  
  
Morgana was not with her. It looked like it was just the three of them and the busybodies.  
  
Akira sent a longing look out the window. Sojiro would kill him if he got sick again. As would Dr. Takemi, who had still not cleared him for regular activity despite how much better he felt. Despite that, it was tempting to go hide on the roof.  
  
Takamaki and Sakamoto were having a conversation beside him.  
  
"And I haven't been able to find a replacement. I'm headed to Harajuku after school tomorrow if it's not still raining to have a look. Want to come with?"  
  
"Nah, that's too far. I need to go grocery shopping for my mom before dinner."  
  
"What about you, Akira-kun?" She asked, turning to him with hopeful eyes.  
  
"No thank you." He tried, keeping his tone neutral. What was this new tactic? Didn't Morgana say they'd gotten all the information they wanted about him?  
  
"Aw, bummer. You already have plans?" She asked, and Akira looked between her and Sakamoto.  
  
"...something like that." He shrugged back and went back to his lunch.  
  
"Well, okay, but if you change your mind just let me know! Both of you. It's boring to go shopping alone."  
  
"You just don't want to have to carry all the bags yourself." the other boy ribbed as Takamaki shushed him good-naturedly. Yes, it seemed that this was happening.

 

* * *

  
  
The sun finally came out just before the end of the school day. There was no need to water so Akira decided to head out. Maybe he could get some studying done at that diner in Shibuya. He needed to be careful with his money but at the same time he needed a change of pace.  
  
He didn't expect Takamaki and Sakamoto to tag along.  
  
"It's so nice and clean feeling after a big rain like that." Takamaki observed, keeping step with Akira. Sakamoto was only half a step behind on his other side. "I feel like getting a dessert. What do you think, Ryuji?"  
  
"Sure, If you're buyin'" He agreed easily.  
  
"Akira-kun?" She turned to him and he looked away uncomfortably.  
  
"What do you want from me?" He demanded abruptly, coming to a standstill and keeping a close eye on them.  
  
She grimaced. "Well...first to apologize, I guess."

  
"Yeah, man. We thought you were seriously bad news but we were wrong. Morgana told you know about our extracurriculars and how you didn't say nothing to Akechi." Sakamoto added. This seemed to give Takamaki a little more confidence.  
  
"I already told Morgana that I'm not interested." Akira answered with a shake of his head.  
  
"Man, why not?" Sakamoto looked at him like he was crazy. "This is like...the chance of a lifetime!"  
  
"It sounds incredibly dangerous and I have enough hanging over my head without..." he gestured with his hands at them "...all this going on."  
  
Was Takamaki _pouting_?  
  
"Well...maybe then just be our friend? Hang out with us?" Came Morgana's voice, and he poked his head up over Takamaki's shoulder, pushing one of her pigtails aside so he could see.  
  
“So you can keep tabs on me?" He sighed, crossing his arms.  
  
"Wha—no!” Takamaki waved her hands in denial. “No, we're just--we're sorry. And we've heard some really nasty rumors about you lately that we know aren't true and it's just..." She looked to Sakamoto for help.  
  
"We've all been there. We didn't want you to have to go it alone."  
  
Critical hit, as Futaba would say. Akira deflated.  
  
"I'll keep it in mind. In the mean time, can I please just go home?" he pleaded.  
  
"Yeah, man, sure." Sakamoto answered for them, cutting off Takamaki's protests. "Later!" He nudged Takamaki and Morgana away.  
  
Akira left for Shibuya, internally debating about whether or not that had been too easy.  
  
After a fruitless job hunt and a study session in the diner, Akira headed back to Yongen-Jaya in the early evening. He kept Sojiro company and did Leblanc's washing up in an effort to keep busy. Futaba was feeling better—she used her afternoon to send indecipherable memes to Akira. It was a quiet evening and the last of the patrons had left. Sojiro was making a list of what needed restocked when the door opened to admit someone that immediately made Sojiro tense.

Akira looked up from putting away some mugs to find an unremarkable man in a baseball cap and with an odd glint in his eye at the counter.

"Haven't I already told you? I don't have any money for you to take. Do you see any customers in here?" Sojiro ground out. Akira was surprised by the frosty edge to his voice.

"Oh, no need to hide it, Sakura-san!" The man smiled but his eyes were hard. "You must have saved plenty from your time working in the government. I see you even have a part-timer now, taking care of him out of charity. I wish you'd show me some of that kindness."

"We don't have room around here for loiterers. Either buy something or leave." Sojiro replied, not responding to the man's prodding. Akira was interested despite himself. "I'm expecting a call soon anyway. I don't have the time to chat."

"Oh, no worries, Sakura-san. I can just have a chat with your friend here while you're occupied." The man nodded in Akira's direction and he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.

Akira looked between the two of them as they continued their tense conversation and slowly reached for his phone so that the jerk on the other side of the counter wouldn't see. He tapped Sojiro's name in his contacts list. Seconds later, the man's phone rang and interrupted the tense exchange. He pulled out his phone and didn't even glance Akira's way. He had an amazing poker face.   
  
"There's the call now. It's social services, checking up on the kids. They gotta come 'round now and then to make sure this one here is staying out of trouble. Want me to introduce you?"   
  
To Akira's surprise, this remark made the mood of the room shift. Suddenly the stranger remembered an urgent appointment and had to leave right away. He was out the door only seconds after Sojiro pretended to answer the call. "If he comes back when I'm not around, call me immediately." Sojiro said after he checked out the front door to confirm the man was gone.   
  
Akira nodded in confirmation, wondering if he would be allowed to ask without upsetting the older man.  
  
"You're good at thinking on your feet, you know? But try not to get involved with this one."   
  
He decided to ask. The worst Sojiro would do was to refuse to answer, right? "Was that her uncle?" he tried timidly. Sojiro was often sensitive about topics concerning his daughter.   
  
"How did--huh." Sojiro turned to him with an inscrutable expression. "Yeah. That's him. He thinks I'm sitting on top of some kind of fortune and he's trying to extort it out of me. It's nothing to worry about. He's just being an asshole."   
  
This information did the opposite of what Sojiro wanted. Akira felt a spike of worry for the Sakuras. It must have shown on his face because Sojiro reached over to pat his shoulder.   
  
"Really, kid. I'm the adult here. Let me worry about it."

Akira silently nodded—leaving it alone for now.

 

* * *

  
Since his stash of money was rapidly dwindling to nothing, Akira stayed in Yongen-Jaya most days after school. He made a deal with the guy who ran the batting cages that if Akira would deep-clean the offices and help organize the shop, he could have a pass to use the batting cages all summer free of charge. It took the teen several days to get everything organized to his satisfaction and the owner of the batting cages was so impressed that he must have told others because not long after the old couple who ran the junk shop down the street offered him a little cash to help them out as well.  
  
He ended up doing a lot more work than he was paid to do. He spent an entire day organized their piles of second hand junk, dusting as he went, but only got about halfway through. It was clear that neither of the owners had the energy or strength to keep the place up as well as they would have liked. Despite protests he came back the next day and finished the job free of charge.  
  
A retro gaming console and a batch of homemade cookies showed up at Leblanc a day later along with a thank-you note that called Akira “a treasure”. Word of this got around the block and people were giving him friendly nods when they saw him.  
  
He shared the cookies with Sojiro and Futaba, the latter of who was less than impressed with his only two games for his new console. She sent over an additional game cartridge with Sojiro the next morning.

  
One afternoon after garden club Akira found himself in the Shibuya diner once again, treating himself to a trendy fruit tea. At first it was just so he could tease Akechi later that week but it turned out to be better than expected. He sipped it slowly as he finished some homework and made a half-hearted attempt at reviewing early for the next round of exams.  
  
"Did your heart get stolen?" a woman suddenly asked, startling him from his study Zen.  
  
He looked up to see Ohya Ichiko, investigative reporter, standing next to his booth and looking him over with a critical eye.  
  
"I think they gave up. I'm just too wicked." Akira deadpanned. Ichiko somehow took this as an invitation and had a seat across from him. Akira sighed and closed his textbook.  
  
"Your name is off the site. Did the Phantom Thieves contact you?" she asked in a hushed voice, leaning forward a bit. She was all smiles and sunshine when the waitress came by to take her order, then went right back to investigation mode when they were alone again.  
  
"My heart wasn't stolen. I've never committed a crime."   
  
"Really—I was framed." He reiterated in response to her incredulous expression. He was tired of this mess. "I'm just minding my own business until my probation ends."  
  
"You're serious! Who framed you?" This was apparently a juicier topic than heart-stealing phantoms. She showed no sign of teasing or any obvious disbelief.  
  
"I don't remember," he shrugged. "It was a stressful evening and it's become kind of a blur."  
  
"And the case was really vague on who it was that was supposedly assaulted, wasn't it..." she mused.  
  
"Does _everyone_ have access to police records?"

"Who else do you know with access to police records?" She asked suspiciously.  
  
"You're one to talk" He shot back.  
  
"Hmm. Got me there." She answered before they were interrupted by the waitress again as she brought Ichiko's beverage. "A refill for this guy, please." She ordered politely, and the waitress nodded and took his empty glass.  
  
"Sooo what made them take your name off the site?"  
  
"No idea." He lied smoothly. "They probably looked into it and found out I'm a boring, law-abiding citizen. No blackmail material to hold over me."  
  
"And how's school, now that you're not enemy number one?" She asked, seemingly genuine in her interest.   
  
"I was out sick with pneumonia for about a week and not long after that people were saying my heart had been stolen. There's a lot of new rumors going around. I got fired from my part-time job because I was attracting too much attention. And no one else who takes high-school part-timers in Shibuya will hire me. It's so-so."  
  
"Heeey!" She said, sitting up straighter. "I know a bartender who could use a part-timer, but the work is mostly in the evening."  
  
"I literally can't afford to be choosy. Tokyo's expensive." He paused, thinking the offer through. "It's not like...a weird place, is it?"  
  
"It's the most legitimate bar in Shinjuku?" she tried, not quite hiding a grimace.  
  
"Never mind." Akira stated flatly.  
  
"Aw, come on! Really! Lala's the best! She'll look out for you if things get hairy. C'mon, what's your phone number?" She asked, pulling her own phone out.  
  
"This is just an elaborate scheme to get my number, right?" Akira smirked, but pulled out his own phone. It couldn't hurt to try.  
  
"Cheeky."

 

* * *

  
  
  
"What's the number for this place?" Sojiro asked over dinner, suspicious like how Akira probably should have been earlier that day.  
  
"I don't have it yet, I'm waiting for my friend to pass my number along to the owner."  
  
"Hmm. I wanna talk to the owner _before_ you make any trips to Shinjuku." He replied, sternly looking over the rim of his glasses at Akira.  
  
"Waaaaait, what'd I miss? Shinjuku?!" Futaba cut in, suddenly invested in the conversation she had previously been ignoring in favor of whatever she was doing on her phone. Sojiro had asked them both to put their phones away for dinner but Futaba forgot about as often as she remembered the rule. Sojiro was lenient, possibly because he was thankful she was eating with them at all.  
  
Futaba continued to have bad days. It seemed like there were fewer and fewer days where she felt good enough to join Sojiro and Akira for dinner or to watch TV together in the living room. Akira had expressed his concern more than once but their guardian was also at a loss. Futaba had a recent breakthrough lately by engaging with Akira, so maybe this was the new normal as she 'recharged', as Sojiro put it. Dr. Takemi was vague when he asked about Futaba during one of his checkups, citing patient-doctor confidentiality, but mentioned that minor regression after major breakthroughs in cases like these was normal. She even gave him a book recommendation about basic psychology as long as he promised not to turn into an ‘armchair psychologist’.   
  
There were times that Futaba wouldn't even leave her room if Akira or Sojiro were around. She still sent strings of text messages to them both and gave Akira ‘Minion Quests’ to acquire unusual snacks, electronics, or even books. He gladly went, as the trips were helping him learn about the different parts of the city and they got him out of the attic for a while. But always, at the back of his mind, he wished Futaba was able to join him.  
  
Today was one of the good days despite the dark shadows she was sporting below her eyes.  
  
"No one in Shibuya will hire me so I’ve had to resort to extreme measures," Akira joked in response to her earlier question. Futaba's eyes bugged out so he dialed it back. "It's just a job as a busser and a dish washer. It's nothing nefarious or the least bit exciting."  
  
"That's a good word. _Nefarious_.''  
  
"How about degenerate? Wicked?"  
  
"Nah, I still like 'nefarious'. Where do you learn these words anyway?"  
  
"It's called reading, you should give it a try." Akira teased as he did his best imitation of Sojiro's single raised eyebrow.  
  
"Oh my god don't make that face. It's creepy on you."  
  
Their guardian let out one of his trademark long sighs, but Akira could tell it was to hide a smile.

 

* * *

  
  
Sojiro's approval of his new job came just a couple days later. He'd apparently called to talk to Akira's potential employer to appease his worry. This also led to a short lecture about safety in the city and how different it was from 'the country'. Better late than never, right?  
  
In the afternoon before his new job, he was antsy. Just fidgety enough for Akechi to take note while the two of them studied together in one of Leblanc's booths.  


Rather, Akechi studied while Akira drew little cats in the margins of his notes and sent the doodles to an amused Futaba.   
  
When he looked up from not-studying after an hour or so, Akechi was smirking.  
  
"I wasn't aware that Shujin's social studies program had an art component." He commented nonchalantly when he noticed Akira's gaze.  
  
Akira scoffed a laugh and gave up the pretense. He dramatically slumped in the booth, resting his head on the table. When all Akechi did was shake his head in amusement, he and closed his eyes and listened to the ambient cafe noise. The idle chatter of the regulars, the low sound of the TV, and the scratch-scratch made by Akechi's pencil against paper.  
  
"D'you wanna go see a movie?" He asked after a while, cracking an eye open.  
  
The other boy looked up in surprise. "A movie?"  
  
Akira shrugged, or did his closest approximation of one from where he had melted on the table. If things went well, Akira would have money coming in very soon and he hadn't done anything fun in a while.  
  
"Yeah. I think there's a sci-fi thriller out. Knife-Jogger." He checked his phone even through Akechi didn't immediately answer. "Next showing is in 45 minutes so we should get moving if we're going to make it."  
  
"I haven't been to a movie theater in...quite some time." he replied and Akira watched the cogs in his mind work on the offer. He wondered why the other boy needed to think so hard about going to a movie but let him go at his own pace. Akechi could be a little odd about social interaction.  
  
"Do you have to go to work today?" Akira cajoled, now curious to see if he could get the detective to join him for a mindless summer flick.  
  
"I want to make sure I'm ahead on my schoolwork." It wasn't a 'no', and Akechi's tone indicated that he was sway-able.  
  
"You're working on something that isn't due for two weeks. I looked. Let's go to the movies and have some fun." Akira was pleasantly surprised when Akechi closed his textbook and began to put away his things.  
  
"I suppose it couldn't hurt." The other boy ventured tentatively as Akira smiled.  
  
"Good, get him out of my hair for a while." Sojiro grumped from the counter, turning to address his charge. "Don't be late for work after. Send me a message when you get to work and when you're headed back, got it?"  
  
"Got it, Boss!" he saluted.  
  
Akira wondered if this meant that Sojiro was worried about him. It was the second reminder in as many days for Akira to keep his guardian posted on his comings and goings to Shinjuku. And Sojiro was telling him to be cautious about things that Akira was already well aware of. _Don't talk to anyone weird. Don't respond to offers that sound too good to be true. Don't follow anyone anywhere._ Maybe he was only saying it to make himself feel better, or just to flex his newfound parental authority? Akira had nodded dutifully and promised to do as asked.

 

* * *

  
  
The two of them leisurely walked along Shibuya's Central Street after the movie. Akira had a while before his shift and neither of them filled up on popcorn so they decided to visit a little cafe off the beaten path that Akechi wanted to review for his blog.  
  
Unsurprisingly, like most of the conversations he’d had lately, the subject of the Phantom Thieves popped up.  
  
"Are the Phantom Thieves just?" Akechi read off his phone. "Only a short time ago this poll was asking if they even existed."  
  
"So, Mr. Detective, _do_ they exist?" Akira asked as he scrunched his nose at his first taste of an inexplicably bitter latte. He grabbed a couple of nearby sugar packets with a grimace. Never again. Leblanc coffee or none at all.  
  
"I'm sure there is one or more persons taking credit for some apparent abrupt personality changes in a number of high profile cases. But to say that it is stealing hearts…that sounds like a romantic faerie tale."  
  
"I can see why they're doing what they're doing. It would have been nice to have a bunch of underground do-gooders to call upon last year."  
  
"And deprive me of our friendship? I'm hurt!" Akira’s flippant humor was rubbing off on Akechi. And when it was real, Akechi’s smile made him look younger. Less tired, at least.  
  
"True. It sucked being uprooted but I have made some good friends." He mime-toasted his latte cup as he took the next sip. Now that the coffee was full of sugar he could stand to drink it instead of letting his money go to waste.   
  
"If you knew the name of the man who brought charges against you, would you post it to the Phan-Site?" Akechi guided them back to their ongoing conversation about phantom thieves.  
  
Akira gave it some thought as they people-watched the crowds of people walking by the cafe's patio.  
  
"I'm not sure." He said eventually. "I'd certainly consider it. But we still don't know what the Phantom Thieves are _doing_ to people, right? It sounds dangerous."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
They were quiet for a while longer, enjoying the companionship in relative quiet. After a while, Akira remembered a subject he’d been meaning to bring up.  
  
"Hey, Akechi."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why did you become a detective?"  
  
"Why, to solve crime and look good doing it, of course." He deadpanned. Akira hid a grin while doing his best imitation one of Akechi's usual over-the-top eye rolls.  
  
"Really. Not for justice? Truth? Protecting and serving?"  
  
Now it was the detective's turn to contemplate. Akira sat up a little when he realized Akechi might give him a straightforward answer for once.  
  
"At first, it was to get my foot in the door to a well paying job. I got very lucky when I solved my first case. For now, the benefits are worth staying where I am. I was able to enroll at a good school with a full scholarship and I am earning steady income with my job and for the infrequent television appearances."  
  
"Survival?" Akira asked in confirmation.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not as noble as I might appear at first." Akechi hedged, attempting non-nonchalance but not quite managing it.  
  
Akira shrugged back. He wasn't one to judge, especially considering his new job.  
  
"Why do you ask? Considering a career in criminal justice?"  
  
"Nah, just curious about you. I don't have any big ambitions after high school. "  
  
"With your grades?"  
  
"Got to keep up my reputation as a disappointment somehow" he quipped. He realized his joke fell flat when Akechi looked surprised, then concerned.  
  
"Kurusu-"  
  
"You should call me 'Akira'." he interrupted. "The way you say 'Kurusu' always makes me think I'm in trouble."  
  
He wondered how he'd managed to finish his sub par latte so quickly as he swirled the dregs around in the bottom of the cup.  
  
"Akira-kun, surely there's some career you're interested in pursuing?"  
  
"I used to think about being a social worker or a teacher, but now I think I'd burn out from having to follow all the stupid rules and regulations."  
  
He also didn't care to be a lawyer, or a doctor, or go into any of the other handful of careers that his father would consider respectable and therefore fund. Then again, he might be shit out of luck no matter what he did with his record.  
  
"I didn't realize this was such a troubling topic." He looked up to meet Akechi's concerned eyes.  
  
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm still trying to get my head screwed on right after..." he counted in his head, "Three months now? I should really get it together."  
  
"There's still time."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They sit in silence for a while before Akira's curiosity gets the better of him.  
  
"Do you have any...leads, I guess, about the identities of the Phantom Thieves?"  
  
Akechi's eyes glittered as Akira waited for the response with a touch of dread.  
  
"I have ruled some possibilities out. Some others still merit investigation."  
  
"Anything you can tell me that's less vague?"  
  
"Why the sudden interest, Akira-kun? Have you been hearing rumors about school?" Something odd was in Akechi's voice.  
  
Akira wasn't sure if they were still playing. Arsene felt thoughtful but had no comment even after Akira sent him a gentle inquisitive prod.  
  
"If anyone at Shujin knows something, I think it's unlikely that they'll speak up." Akira said with a shrug. "After they got rid of the volleyball coach and the principal, I think there are a lot of students with a 'ride-or-die' mentality."  
  
"So they don't believe Phantom Thieves are culpable for the mental breakdown incidents?"  
  
"I don't think so. Weren't those happening before the Phantom Thieves announced themselves? Doesn't seem like their M.O."  
  
"Hmm." Akechi turned his gaze outward, away from their table. He didn't seem to be focusing on anything in particular. They watched people pass by again as Akechi finished his beverage.   
  
"Okay." The detective sighed out of the blue.  
  
"...okay?"  
  
"Okay." Akechi repeated confidently, then checked his watch. "Shouldn't you be leaving soon? It wouldn't do to be late on the first day."  
  
"Uh, yeah." Akira answered hesitantly, taking his cue to stand as Akechi did as he mentally backtracked through their conversation.  Had he just passed a test?  
  
"Good luck at work!" Akechi said brightly, ignoring Akira's confusion, and went on his way.

 

* * *

  
  
The sun was sinking behind buildings by the time Akira made it safely to Shinjuku. For all the hype, it wasn't half as scary as the adults made it out to be. Sure, there were some questionable looking men with gelled or slicked back hair but they barely paid him any mind as he strode confidently towards his destination. When he was finally was under the unnatural pink glow of Crossroads’ neon sign he texted his guardian as promised. He got a response before he finished pocketing his phone again.

 

>   
> Sojiro: All right. Message again when you're headed back. Break a leg.

  
  
Heartened by his guardian's unique brand of encouragement, Akira pushed the door open to the bar and was greeted by a mellow atmosphere which was not unlike a lazy afternoon in Leblanc. It was lit dimly and there was no comforting smell of curry and coffee, but the bar was still more similar in its atmosphere than it was different.  
  
From the phone, he had assumed Lala was an older woman with a chain smoking habit. From the smell of the air, the smoking part was right but Lala was also...was drag queen the correct word?  
  
Lala wore a purple bob, lilac eye shadow, and a purple kimono with gold accents. She carried herself with a confident, take-no-shit aura that momentarily made Akira a bit hesitant. He could only blink dumbly as they regarded one another across the mostly empty bar.  
  
Lala smiled slowly and put out her cigarette. "Hey, honey. Come on back and we'll get you set up with an apron." She called in her gravelly voice, beckoning him with one hand while pointing to where he could enter behind the bar. The one patron at the other end of the bar glanced up from her book briefly before ignoring them again. "You didn't hit any trouble on your way here, did you?"  
  
"No ma'am."  
  
She gave him a fond look while tapping the side of her cheek with a red-polished finger. "Ma'am? Well aren't you a sweetheart."  
  
Akira was handed his apron and directed to follow her behind a swinging door that led to a small kitchen. He also spotted an office, a restroom, and even a flight of stairs beyond a small sitting area with a vanity. For now, his attention was directed towards the dish washing station.  
  
"I don't do enough business to justify a machine to wash dishes so everything is taken care of by hand here. Mind the boxes."  
  
Akira followed after her back to the front and she showed him where other supplies were kept and went over everything else expected of him. To his surprise, he was welcome to talk to any of her customers if he saw any of them looking lonely because Lala was not available to talk them.  
  
"The regulars are all good people, so don't worry. I hear that Sakura-san's already given you a primer on how to give patrons a good 'customer service' face, but you don't need much of that here. It'll be easy after everyone's had a drink and a chance to unwind. Any questions?"  
  
"I don't think I do for now..."  
  
"Just come ask when you think of something. Don't be shy about it, all right darling?" She asked, and he realized she was waiting for him to answer. He nodded after a beat.  
  
"All right. Help me watch the clock as well. Sakura-san wants you headed home before it gets too late in the evening and I happen to agree. Shinjuku is no place for a young one like you at night."  
  
The work itself was easy enough. He and was kept busy most of the night moving about the place and making sure Lala's glassware was spotless. He noted a couple squeaky stools and a chair that needed attention and wood glue, and even a couple dusty corners that all would receive his attention eventually. It seemed that all he learned in his short stint working at the batting cages and the second hand shop would come in handy.  
  
The company was different from what he was used to, but as Lala assured him, her regular patrons were friendly. The biggest surprise was his paycheck. He hadn't discussed it in depth since he trusted Ichiko when she told him the job would pay a fair wage. Fair seemed to be an understatement. Including a small share of tips, his pay ended up being just a little over double what he made at the florist. He could buy lunch for a week with some left over to save if he was thrifty.  
  
"Thank you," Akira told Lala with sincere gratitude. Lala smiled back warmly and sent him off with a final reminder to watch for shady people.  
  
"Get home safe, darling." She called after him.

 

* * *

 

 

>   
> Futaba: how was it???  
> Futaba: did u die?  
> Futaba: kira  
> Futaba: don't die I'll kill u  
>   
> Akira: I didn't die.  
> Akira: I swear it's a lot more boring than you're thinking.  
>   
> Futaba: you could at least make something up  
> Futaba: tell me you at least saw something cool  
>   
> Akira: I saw smth cool  
>   
> Futaba: Give them juicy deets! (/ﾟДﾟ)/  
>   
> Akira: I didn't think this through. Give me a sec to come up with something.  
>   
> Futaba: ╰(ಠ⌣ಠ)╯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to 14k words on chapter 5's rough draft and realized it was time to split it up. Expect the next chapter to come out faster than usual! (yaaaay)
> 
> I will also be going back and making minor edits here and there to previous chapters for grammar and the like. If you guys spot mistakes, don't be afraid to let me know! I hate it when a typo or other mistake drags me out of the moment of whatever I'm reading. 
> 
> Heidi_Flutterhawk drew some beautiful fanart and I'm stunned, amazed, humbled, over the moon, etc. Everyone go look at it!  
> https://twitter.com/heidililacdream/status/1016576180084932608
> 
> Thank you to everyone leaving comments and kudos. I appreciate each and every one of you. <3


	6. Crossroads - Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves are up to something

"You're working _where_? Akira!" Haru nearly dropped her pencil in surprise. They were enjoying the late afternoon sitting at the bar in Leblanc. Two regulars were in their usual table and there was no work to be done so Haru and Akira were pretending to study as they drank their fill of coffee. It was cozy between the faint noise of the TV, the patter of rain outside, and the smell of good food and coffee all around them.  
  
"No! No, no, it's a legitimate place, I swear!" He lost the battle to smother his laughter. Sojiro raised an eyebrow but didn't admonish them for the noise.  
  
Haru _glared_. He stopped laughing with a slight twinge of fear.  
  
" _Promise_. Sojiro had a similar reaction and didn't let me go until he talked to the owner."  Haru's head turned to Sojiro to confirm Akira's story. The man smirked, amused, and then half-shrugged. He wisely went back to his crossword, leaving Akira to flounder alone.  
  
"It pays well?" He tried. And at the look she shot back, it was the wrong tactic. "I'm just washing dishes and listening to drunk people talk about themselves."  
  
"Really!" he added when Haru was still not expressing any confidence in his life decisions.  
  
Haru searched his face before nodding curtly. "I can't say I'm happy about this but if you're safe…" she allowed.  
  
"I won't say it's as safe as Shibuya but the bartender is looking out for me. Please don't worry." He beseeched.  
  
"From what I hear Shibuya is getting less safe all the time. I suppose the difference isn't as notable as it once was."  
  
"What's going on in Shibuya?" He asked, thinking back to the last few times he'd been by. Nothing stuck out in his memory as unusual. He felt faint agreement from Arsene, who seemed to wake out of nowhere to tune in to their discussion. Odd--Arsene was usually silent when he spent time with Haru.  
  
"Mako-chan mentioned that Shujin students are getting tricked into taking questionable part-time jobs being advertised as 'easy money'." She shook her head in vague disapproval, dividing her focus now between their conversation and the chart they kept of the Shujin rooftop garden. They'd started a semi-weekly diary of the state of the plants, not unlike a lab notebook. It made their puttering around with the plants seem downright legitimate.  
  
"Mako-chan?" He repeated, confused.  
  
"Makoto Nijima. She was adamant that I be informed though I am sure she knows I'm not interested in part-time work."  
  
Akira frowned. Nosy phantom thieves again? Haru had mentioned Nijima more than once in passing, but this was the first time he heard mention of _Mako-chan_.  
  
"I'll keep an eye out." He assured her, and she smiled back, lightly bumping his shoulder with hers.  
  
"Please do. She seemed terribly worried about it."

 

* * *

  
  
Futaba wasn't improving, but she wasn't getting worse until the day Sae Nijima paid a visit to Leblanc.  
  
Akira entered the cafe on a rainy June afternoon to see only one patron standing in the cafe and a displeased Sojiro behind the counter.  
  
Akira slowed to a halt, instantly reminded of when Futaba's uncle stopped by.  
  
"I told you already, I have nothing for you."  
  
"So I take it that you're fine with the termination of your parental authority?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"There are virtually no points in your favor. If this is taken to domestic court the chance of them siding with us is almost guaranteed. With these new suspicions of abuse, you will be found unfit for providing care for _any_ minor and your custody will be revoked. These are facts, not conjecture." The woman's voice was cold, reminding Akira of the last time he was in a courtroom and an uninterested judge read Akira's sentence to the courtroom as his knees shook. He tightened his hold on his still-wet umbrella.  
  
"Fine! But I've already told you, I don't know anything!" Sojiro all but roared, throwing his hands up in the air.  
  
"We'll be the judge of that." The woman takes out her business card and some cash. "Thanks for the drink." She says mildly in the face of Sojiro's stony, silent anger.  
  
She left, heels clicking authoritatively on the tile as she exited. The door was firmly closed before Sojiro was able to bellow a belated parting shot. "And _stay_ out!"  
  
Sojiro pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses with his eyes screwed shut. Shell-shocked, Akira stood frozen in place as his brain buzzed with all the new information. Was this woman in league with Futaba's uncle? She wanted something from Sojiro but it didn't sound as if she wanted to be paid off. And the threat of having his guardianship revoked was new. She seemed so sure of herself.  
  
"She can't--she can't do that, right?" He finally managed to ask, ashamed to hear a quake in his voice.  
  
"Huh? What--" Sojiro shook himself out of his brooding, surprised by Akira's presence.  
  
"She can't just take Futaba away, right?" He asked, uncommonly nervous. Like he should run. From what, he didn't know.  
  
Sojiro shook his head and waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Don't worry yourself over this kind of thing. She's just a goon working for a government trying to get her way. I'll take care of it."  
  
Akira nodded tightly. Sojiro switched gears by removing his apron and switching the TV off. He came around the bar and put a comforting arm around Akira's shoulders.  
  
"How 'bout we close up early? We'll stop by the grocery store and you can help me make dinner, yeah?" The man asked, and followed Akira's gaze to the business card the woman had left behind on the bar. _Sae Nijima._  
  
He had to swallow around a growing lump in this throat before he managed to answer. "...yeah."  
  
Sojiro swiped up the card, stuffed it in his pocket, and then gently guided Akira out of the cafe.

 

* * *

  
  
Futaba didn't respond to Akira's messages asking if she felt like joining them for dinner. She didn't answer when Akira knocked on her door. Arsene was restless but silent. He'd had no comment to share about the encounter at the cafe.  
  
Akira pressed an ear up to the door and he heard quiet crying on the other side.  
  
"Futaba?" He tried again. No answer. He set his forehead against her door with a dull _thunk_. For the second time that evening he found himself fighting off tears. If social services actually _did_ visit, would they even listen to Sojiro's side of things? He didn't have much hope for anyone asking Futaba herself. Akira heard a soft sob on the other side of the door and his heart clenched. He concentrated, listening for more, but all he could hear was the ticking of a distant clock and the faint noise of Sojiro cooking in the kitchen.  
  
Eventually, he trudged back to the kitchen and had a seat at the table. Sojiro took one look at his face and stopped cutting vegetables.  
  
"Hey, come take over for me. I need this diced." He said as he wiped his hands off on a towel. Akira nodded and got up to assist as Sojiro walked down the hall to Futaba's bedroom, forehead creased in a deep frown.  
  
Akira forced himself to focus only on chopping.  
  
Sojiro came back about ten minutes later, alone.  
  
Futaba didn't join them for dinner.

  

 

> Akira: hey, you want anything from the grocer? Boss is buying.  
> Akira: I think he can be convinced to buy us some junk.  
>   
> Akira: Wanna eat dinner with us?  
> Akira: Can I do anything to help? Or if you want to talk about it I'm here too.  
> Akira: If you need a distraction I can entertain you with Tales From Shinjuku(tm).  
>   
> Akira: Good night! Offer still stands. hugs.

 

 

 

>   
> Futaba: sorry about last night  
>   
> Akira: it's no problem. We were just worried. Feeling better today?  
>   
> Futaba: yeah :)

> Futaba: except you took the best part of the leftovers for lunch >:c  
>   
>   
>   
> Akira: <img attached>  
> Akira: yum, ginger pork  
>   
> Futaba: >:o  
> Futaba: is that Haru? Is that the cat???  
>   
> Akira: yep, we're enjoying lunch on the roof to hide from my stalkers.  
>   
> Futaba: eating MY ginger pork. I should tell them where you are.  
>   
> Akira: yeah, good luck with that.  
>   
> Futaba: revenge!  
> Futaba: ヽ(#`Д´)ﾉ

 

  
"Just one more? Please?" Morgana whined, one paw pressing into Akira's knee.  
  
"I'm going to go hungry at this rate, you know." Akira informed him as he dutifully set another piece of pork down on Morgana's napkin.  
  
Haru giggled at the exchange.  
  
Akira wordlessly looked over the rim of his glasses at her.  
  
Haru shook her head. "It's charming, watching the two of you. It's almost like you're having a real conversation."  
  
Akira felt his cheeks warm. He concentrated on watching Morgana as he scarfed down his fourth piece of pork.  
  
"Ah, well. He's smart."  
  
Haru's laughter continued when she saw that she had flustered Akira.  
  
Morgana looked up with a smug kitty grin. For once, a normal cat expression.  
  
After they finished eating Akira was packing up his lunch box and Haru was watching Morgana clean his face when the door to the roof opened to admit Nijima and Takamaki.  
  
"Hi, guys!" Morgana chirped, prancing way with his tail straight up in the air and abandoning his lunch buddies.   
  
He jumped into Takamaki's bag as she held it open for him.  
  
"Hello, Mako-chan! And you're Akira's classmate, Takamaki-san, correct?"  
  
"Uh...yeah! I'm sorry but I don't know your name." Ann admitted awkwardly.  
  
"Haru Okumura. I am in Mako-chan's year but another class."  
  
"Hello, Haru-chan. Hello, Kurusu-kun." Nijima greeted formally. "How is the garden coming along?"  
  
"Oh, quite wonderfully!" Haru replied, lighting up. "Mako-chan, come see the watermelon and the cucumber! They love the hot weather." She beckoned to Nijima, who followed with an expression of mild interest.  
  
This left Akira alone with Takamaki. He busied himself with packing up his lunch box in the ensuing awkward silence.  
  
"Did you learn anything?" Morgana asked, voice muffled by the bag.  
  
"Later, Morgana. After school, okay?" She shushed him gently, scratching his chin when he poked his face through the bag's opening.  
  
She focused on Akira for so long that he couldn't help but look up.  
  
"Yes, Takamaki?" he asked neutrally.  
  
"Ann. My name is Ann."  
  
"So is 'Takamaki'."  
  
"Just--call me 'Ann', okay?"  
  
"Whatever you say, 'Ann-okay'" He grinned back and she huffed with a hint of a smile.  
  
Nijima and Haru came back over and said their goodbyes so Nijima and _Ann_ could take care of some student council business before lunch was over.  
  
Haru waved a fond farewell and Akira breathed a sigh of relief when the door to the roof closed behind the girls.  
  
"How unusual. Mako-chan is usually such a stickler for rules but didn't seem to mind Takamaki-san's cat companion."  
  
Akira had no answer so he just shrugged at her suspicious gaze. Luckily, she let it go. _Mako-chan_ could field that one.

 

 

>   
> Akira: does Nijima have an older sister? Or like a really young mother?  
>   
> Haru: Mako-chan lost both of her parents years ago. Her older sister is her caretaker. She doesn't like to talk about it much.

> Haru: why do you ask?  
>   
> Akira: I heard of a "Sae Nijima" recently and I was wondering if they were any relation.  
> Akira: Do you want to go see a movie this week?  
> Akira: Or just want to go do something in general?  
>   
> Haru: I would be delighted.

 

* * *

  
  
The second shift at Crossroads was easier than the first. He didn't notice any notably unscrupulous people as he walked from the subway to the bar, but you never knew. The night was fairly slow, which meant Akira found himself completely caught up with dishes within an hour. He came by and ran a dust rag around Lala's decor and liquor bottles that stood behind the bar. He found a second chair that would need to be repaired soon and marked it down like the one he'd found before. Ohya even showed up, ostensibly to check on him, but she got so deep into her cups he doubted she remembered he was even there.   
  
A group of provocatively dressed young adults came in together, apparently all close friends. Although they were rowdier than her usual clientele Akira noted that they lowered their volume at only a glance from the bartender.  
  
They were all had clothes and hair styles he'd associate with a rock band. Torn jeans, dark colors, dyed spiky hair. All of them were wearing flashy makeup. He got a close look when he was asked to deliver a round of water.  
  
"Thanks kid! What's your name?" One of them asked and Akira was unsure if he should answer.  
  
"We don't bite, I swear." One of the women smiled reassuringly. Her voice was smooth like expensive silk. "I'm Emi, and that one that was too rude to introduce himself is Kaito. And this is Rina and Kyou."  
  
All of them raised their water glasses to him in turn as they were introduced. A glance back at Lala showed that she was unconcerned.    
  
"Akira."  
  
"Don't let Lala-chan work you too hard, okay?" one of the men laughed. Kaito. Akira smiled hesitantly back and went back to the bar.  
  
At the end of his shift he was paid just as handsomely and sent home before eleven. Lala mentioned he should come in early for his Friday shift that week so he would have the time and space for his planned repairs.  
  
The twenty-somethings heard her saying her sending Akira off--with the usual safety lecture--and decided it was also time for them to pack up and leave.  
  
"No worries, Lala-chan! We'll see him to his train!" Kaito allowed Lala to reach out and pinch his cheek for being a 'dear'.  
  
And so Akira got a very unusual but friendly escort. They turned out to be part of a local rock band and their stop at Crossroads was part of their usual routine to relax before a show.  
  
"You go to school? High school?" Kaito asked, looking at him over.  
  
"Yeah. Shujin." Akira responded easily, seeing no harm in it.  
  
Emi and the other woman, Rina, clearly knew of the place. "The one in the news?" Rina gasped, holding a manicured hand up to her mouth.   
  
"News?" Kaito was confused.  
  
"They had a perv teacher turn himself in and a principal that just up and disappeared." Kyou chimed in for the first time all evening. His voice was deep, almost melodic.   
  
Kaito let out a soft whistle. "Yikes. Rough stuff, little buddy. You doing all right over there at Shujin now?"  
  
"Uh...yeah. Pretty much." Akira answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's been quiet ever since the Principal left."  
  
"Good." Emi or Rina said emphatically.  
  
Emi and Rina filled the rest of the walk with chatter about some awful tabloid articles they had been reading and the guys all listened without feeling any need to contribute. Akira spotted two men in tracksuits in the alley standing next to a broken vending machine discussing something with their heads bowed. Kyou must have noticed as well because he came over to Akira's side to flank him and hide him from view. He gave an unapologetic shrug when Akira looked at him in askance.  
  
"Awwright, here's your station." Kaito declared as they reached the subway. "Don't talk to any strangers, young Akira."  
  
"No one stranger than us, at least." Kyou tacked on with a lazy smile.  
  
Akira left with a wave and a smile.

 

* * *

  
  
He got off the train late Friday afternoon just in time for work, dodging and weaving around the dense foot traffic. He usually did evening shifts and therefore hadn't been aware of just how crowded the trains were between Shibuya and Shinjuku in the afternoons. It had almost been as bad as the morning rush..   
  
Lala had been taking full advantage of having an extra set of hands to help out. Today he would be able to turn all of the bar's lights up to their brightest setting and do some minor repairs to Lala's tables and chairs.  It wasn't as relaxing as the work at florist, but it was infinitely more interesting. He'd looked up a few internet how-to videos to help him decide what would be easy for him to repair.  
  
As he trotted down the street he caught an unexpected flash of blue in his peripheral and turned automatically to identify it. He was alarmed to find that it was Takamaki, accosted by a shady looking guy that he thought he recognized as one of the tracksuit guys who hung around outside the hostess clubs.  
  
Akira's feet were carrying him towards her before he consciously made the decision, a plan already forming in his mind.  
  
"Ann♡chan!" He greeted with a dazzling smile, his most saccharine voice, and at least twice the usual volume.  
  
Takamaki whipped around, brows furrowed in confusion. Akira took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.  
  
"Were you waiting long?" He asked, beaming and bouncing a little on his feet. "The movie's starting soon, we should go. But--oh, was I interrupting?" He turned towards the strange man with a tilted head as if he had just noticed he was there.  
  
"W-what?" Takamaki asked, gawking.  
  
"No?" Akira confirmed as the man shook his head and walked off. "Okay, bye~!" he called sweetly as he waved with his free hand for good measure.  
  
"W-What are you doing?" Takamaki hissed, finally recovering.  
  
"Right! The movie! Come on, Ann!" He plowed on, turning them back to the main street. He noted at least one other man with slicked back hair tracking them a few storefronts away. He bowed his head closer to Takamaki as if he was whispering in her ear. "Seriously? Cute girls walking alone have been known to disappear. Just come on. Where are your friends?"  
  
Takamaki allowed herself to be pulled along to the movie queue. Akira kept a surreptitious eye out to see if anyone else was watching them.  
  
"You were serious about the movie?" she asked incredulously. _Finally_ , Nijima appeared with the blue-black haired boy.  
  
"There." He guided her out of the queue with a nod, and finally released her hand. Still smiling pleasantly, he addressed a pissed off Nijima. "What the hell are you thinking?"  
  
"What are you _doing_?" Nijima hissed back.  
  
"Getting Takamaki out of a potentially dangerous situation. Where's Sakamoto?" He searched the crowds for another head of familiar blonde hair but came up empty.  
  
"Wait, where _is_ Ryuji?" Nijima echoed, momentarily forgetting her irritation and turning to Takamaki.  
  
"I don't know! He just disappeared when we were walking through a crowd."  
  
"Perhaps he backtracked when you were separated?" The other boy spoke up, looking beyond them towards the train station.  
  
"I'll message him." Nijima said, whipping out her phone. Akira checked the time on his and realized he was cutting it close.  
  
"Just--don't go wandering around alone, okay?" Akira said, addressing Takamaki. " _Especially_ don't go around after dark. It's not safe. Shibuya too, for that matter." He half-turned as he spoke, backing up as he prepared to make a hasty exit.  
  
"Wait! What are you even doing here?" Nijima demanded, focusing her laser sights on him again.  
  
"Working." he shot back coolly. "I can't get work closer to home but I still need to eat."  
  
She recoiled. Akira was saved by the approach of Sakamoto, loud as usual.  
  
"Hey guys! I--Ann! There you are. Jeez, I look away for one second...Oh, hey, dude." he noticed Akira and gave him a little nod. "'Sup."  
  
Akira nodded back, then glanced at the rest of them. "I was just leaving. Later."  
  
He left them behind, speed-walking the rest of the way to the bar while texting Sojiro.

 

* * *

  
  
Takamaki disappeared the second class let out the next day. She still wished him a good morning and greeted him in the hallways with a smile, and even continued to address him by his first name.  
  
Akira spent time in the library after school so he could do some research on one of the computers. Against all odds he even convinced the student librarian to let him check out two books at the same time. He decided that staying to study there was pushing his luck and started to head out with the intention of loitering in the diner on Central Street when he ran into Takamaki.  
  
She was hanging fliers for some event, probably on behalf of student council. When she noticed him, she called out his name dramatically, abandoning her task immediately to walk next to him.  Was she attracting attention on purpose? He had to stifle a laugh of honest surprise and amusement before he could school his face back to neutrality. Takamaki, of course, noticed and smirked back.  
  
"Akira-kun! Hi! I thought you'd already gone home!"  
  
Akira didn't reply. Pretended to ignore her, really. This didn't deter her in the slightest--she was amazing at holding one-sided conversations. Akira felt the stares of the few students left in the building as he and Takamaki descended to the first floor.  
  
"...and we thought next time we should invite you to come with, you know? Are you busy on Sunday, Akira-kun?" She asked, and Akira realized her tone was a shade too bright. There was something in her face, a little twitch to her smile, which stopped him from rejecting the offer out of hand. Nervous?  
  
He certainly couldn't afford to be outright rude to her at school and risk starting more rumors about his villainy. But he didn't really want to either. On the other hand, he _really_ didn't want to get wrapped up in any Phantom Thieves business. Sojiro would have an aneurysm.  
  
"Ah...sorry, Takamaki-san. I'm helping in the cafe that day." He turned her down politely as they reached the exit. She finally slowed and he was able to leave her behind. "I can't leave the boss short-handed. You understand."  
  
"Akira-kun! Don't be silly, you know you can call me Ann!" she called after him. "Bye!"  
  
"Bye," he called back, in spite of himself. She answered with a thousand-watt smile.

>   
>   
>  Ann: just text me if your plans change or if you get off work early!  
>   
> Akira: will do.

  
He would not.

 

* * *

  
  
Akira wasn't lying when he said he was scheduled to help in Leblanc. He’d never expected to spot his classmates walking around outside of the cafe door. The first time he thought he was imagining it, or possibly mistaking the blue glow of Akechi for someone else. But when he spotted Morgana run by on top of the brick fence across the road, he knew he was in for some torment.  
  
Akechi noticed his grimace and followed his gaze. Takamaki had materialized, talking with the tall unnamed boy just outside the door.  
  
"Friends of yours?" he asked lightly, attempting an air of disinterest. Akira took this as a sign that Akechi was _extraordinarily_ interested in the answer. That, and how he was leaning back from the bar in an effort to spot who had caught Akira’s attention.   
  
"Not really. Some of my classmates. They usually cause some kind of trouble for me."  
  
"How so?" the other boy asked, gaze sharpening. Akira glanced over in surprise when he heard the hard edge underneath the question. Akira played back the conversation in his head and realized what it sounded like.  
  
"Oh! No, not like bullies or anything. You remember the cat that helped me get fired? It's the blonde girl's cat."

  
"I see..." Akechi mused, stroking his chin. He was going into what Akira dubbed 'detective mode'. Akira was uncomfortably reminded of the fact that Akechi was still in the middle of investigating and apprehending the Phantom Thieves. He hoped he wasn't an accomplice--he would forever deny any knowledge of them if asked.  
  
"What's her name?" He asked after a moment, turning to meet Akira's eyes with an intense gaze.  
  
"I don't recall. Never seen her before in my life. Morgana who?" Akira answered with excessive nonchalance.  
  
Akechi rolled his eyes and dropped it just as Takamaki and friend entered the cafe. Well, so much for that.  
  
"There he is! Hi, Akira-kun!" Ann greeted. Akira tried not to frown--or wince--too obviously. Sojiro perked up from his book at the other end of the bar.  
  
"You know this guy?" He asked, sporting a friendly smile. Akira abruptly realized that he could be in real danger here if Takamaki used her powers for evil and charmed the boss.  
  
"Of course! He sits behind me in class, and when Morgana went missing a while back he kept him safe for me. Akira's the best!" She beamed, and Sojiro was falling for it. She was good. "Actually...Yusuke here and I were wondering if we could borrow Akira for the afternoon." She gestured back to her companion who was busy using his hands to frame the scene of the cafe like some kind of cliche movie director. He had blue and yellow paint on one of his hands.  
  
"Takamaki, didn't I say--" Akira attempted, but was halted by a god-tier pout.  
  
"Akiiirrraaaa, it's 'Ann', remember?" God, that _whine_. Sojiro hid a laugh behind a polite cough. Akechi had found his almost-empty cup of coffee to be the most interesting--and amusing, from his smile--thing in the building.  
  
"Er-- _Ann_ , remember when I said I was busy today?"  
  
"Nonsense!" Cut in Sojiro, clapping a hand on Akira's shoulder. Akira turned to him with wide eyes. Since when did Sojiro do 'jovial'? "We haven't had anyone in all afternoon except a few regulars. Go spend time with your friends and stop moping in my cafe."  
  
"Boss…" Akira protested weakly, but couldn't immediately come up with a counter. Akechi was making it a point to not look over at Akira at all. Ann's eyes sparkled with amusement and Yusuke was looking on with vague interest.  
  
"Go on, get out of here and go be a kid." The man urged, squeezing his shoulder once and then letting go.  
  
"I…" he tried again to think of something-- _anything_ \--but Sojiro knew he had no homework and no evening shift at Crossroads. Damn the man's good parenting. "I need to go get my wallet."  he resigned himself to his fate.  
  
"Yay!" Ann cheered in delight, clapping her hands together. "Hurry up, we're meeting the others!"  
  
Yusuke and Akechi were casually sizing one another up as Akira took off his apron and trudged up the stairs.  
  
As he closed the window he'd opened that morning he contemplated how long of a drop it was. With his luck, he'd probably break his leg and then it would be even easier for Takamaki to corner him with his limited mobility. He pocketed his wallet and had another look around the room as if it could give him an idea on how to get out of this. Eventually he gave up and came back down.  
  
Despite his policy of no pets in the cafe, Sojiro was happy to visit with Morgana, who was poking his head out from Ann's bag and sporting a dark green bandanna today. When she spotted him, Ann immediately came over to take Akira's hand to tug him away from his peaceful afternoon.  
  
"Thanks, Sakura-san! We'll have him back in one piece before dark! We'll get him some dinner too!"  
  
Was he being babysat? Ann pulled him out the door after Yusuke. Sojiro and Akechi waved in a fond farewell, the smartasses.  
  
He sent one last pleading look back inside as Morgana called out a fond farewell from Ann's bag.  
  
"Bye, Boss!"  
  
Just before he was dragged out of sight Akira caught a glimpse of Akechi's frozen hand and wide-eyed shock.  
  
He filed the information away for later.

 

* * *

  
  
"If this is about new job it's none of your business." Akira informed the Phantom Thieves, all assembled at Shibuya station.  
  
"Sooo are you hungry?" Ann asked, ignoring his hostility. "There's BigBang Burger, beef bowls, Ryuji knows a ramen place but we need to take the subway again to get there. Or…?" She trailed off, watching him expectantly.  
  
Yusuke piped up immediately, "My vote is for food!"  
  
"...or you could tell me what you want and then we can go our separate ways."  
  
"No can do!" Morgana replied from Ann's shoulder. "We promised Boss that we'd feed you dinner!"  
  
"It's the least we could do", chimed in Nijima, brushing hair behind her ear with a hesitant smile.  
  
"Let's not and say we did. I'll even stay out later than usual." Akira appealed, but it seemed like it wasn't going to happen.  
  
"Dude, you might as well go with it. Once Ann is determined to do something there's no stopping her. At least this way you can make her buy you food."  
  
Sakamoto had a good point. Akira could order the BigBang Challenge and then gave up after one bite. Was that too petty?  
  
Haru would probably find out and make him feel guilty.  
  
Futaba and Akechi would laugh.  
  
Arsene was staying out of it.  
  
What was the most expensive eatery in the district? He's read about a sundae served somewhere in Tokyo that was garnished with gold leaf.  
  
They end up eating at BigBang, and Akira ordered a normal meal.  
  
They left him alone, for the most part. Ann and Ryuji talk about their years in middle school together, and Yusuke chimed in now and then about the beauty in their friendship. It seemed that Yusuke was a student at Kosei. Ann would not reveal his last name so Akira couldn't use it.  
  
Nijima was forever trying to get them to be a little less rowdy, a little more responsible, and even snuck in a reminder of their upcoming exams. If he had to guess, he'd say she was the leader.  
  
There was a fair amount of bickering about what the best kind of food was best on a rainy summer day, and even some kind of on-going bet about who would correctly predict the ending of the next episode of some show they all seemed to follow.  
  
Morgana stayed in Ann's bag, which was in the booth seat between him and Ann. Akira reached down a couple times to scratch the not-a-cat's ears and even shared some of his burger as requested.  
  
They didn't seem to need him to contribute much, and he found himself smiling more than once at their antics. Despite his previous horror, it wasn't an unpleasant way to spend an afternoon.  
  
After eating there was an intense discussion about where to go next. When pressed, Akira suggested the book store so he could pick up the next novel in a series he was reading. The group slowly dispersed though the store, but Ryuji stuck close by Akira, not interested in doing his own browsing. Akira felt a little of the tension in his shoulders ease as he was no longer in the middle of things and didn't have to keep up with any conversation. He breathed in deep to catch more of the iconic papery scent of all good bookstores. Ryuji was content to trail along after Akira and occasionally inspect the shelves.  
  
"They've got a big variety, yeah?" Ryuji observed out loud, scrutinizing the book Akira had open. "All these sci-fi books are huge."  
  
"Not really" Akira murmured as he picked out a second volume that caught his eye. He had the money, so why not?  
  
"You ever read Space Cat?" Ryuji asked as Akira moved over a couple of sections to look for something fun for Futaba.  
  
"...Space Cat?"  
  
"Yeeaaah, man! Space Cat! Rebel with his own spaceship, travels the galaxy looking for his home planet?"  
  
"Are you making this up?"  
  
"Tch. Nah, come on." Ryuji led him over to the manga and light novels. "See? Here."  
  
Perfect. Futaba probably wouldn't notice if he decided to read it first...  
  
After the bookstore the group wandered back to the accessway where Akira had met them to return Morgana. It was getting close to sunset so Akira guessed this is where they would finally part ways and let him go in peace.

"So..." he tried, "Today was nice and all, but I'm done. Can I go back to the cafe without an entourage now?"  
  
No one answered, and all of the other thieves looked to a fidgeting Nijima.  
  
"Uh.." she stammered when she realized she was the center of attention. She clenched a fist and seemed to steel herself before continuing. "Kurusu-san. We were wondering...You live with Sakura-san, right?"  
  
"...yes?" he replied, now wary. Arsene, who had mostly been bussing around just under his thoughts all day, did the mental equivalent of setting a supportive hand on Akira's shoulder.  
  
**_Calm, Trickster._**  
  
"He takes care of you? As your guardian?"  
  
Akira nodded slowly, glancing around at them.  
  
"Does he have other family? Like a wife or a sister? A daughter?"  
  
"Why do you ask?" he asked neutrally as he could as his stomach sank. He hoped this wasn't going where he thought it was.  
  
"Well..." Nijima looked around for assistance, possibly realizing she was entering dangerous territory. A couple of the thieves turned their heads pseudo-casually away to avoid her gaze. Despite the lack of support, she plowed on."We were wondering...about Futaba Sakura."  
  
"No." Akira heard himself say, but it sounded distant. He closed his eyes as he took a moment to reign in the flood of adrenaline suddenly roaring through him. At first he felt dread, then a little anxious. Then anger took over.  
  
Arsene murmured something but Akira was no longer listening. He felt as if he was full of electric current, crackling with it at the ends of his tingling fingers. He imagined blue flame licking his fingertips.  
  
"No?" Nijima blinked, confused. "He doesn't?"  
  
" _No_ , as in, I'm not talking about this." Akira clarified when he felt he could keep his voice level. Was this the real reason Ann and Ryuji were hanging around? Gathering intel for Nijima's sister?

He pushed back the sudden hurt he felt with a shake of his head. He was being silly.

"Tell your sister to do her own dirty work." Akira addressed Nijima directly, meeting her eyes and hoping for once his intimidating reputation would work in his favor.  
  
"My sister?! What are you talking about?"  
  
Akira wasn't sure if her ignorance was real or just another calculated act. He'd been fooled all afternoon into thinking they were just friendly.  
  
"So you're saying you don't know how she threatens people? Coerces them? Or do you not care?"  
  
"Woah! Hey, now. Akira-kun, what are you talking about?" Ann asked extending a hand towards him. Akira took a rapid step backwards to stay out of reach.  
  
"Leave the Sakuras alone. They've done nothing wrong." He could tell he was being too loud. He glared at curious passers-by. A cop was looking their way. The Phantom Thieves were staring at him with wide eyes in silence. Akira took another deep, calming breath and lowered his voice. "Fuck off. If you come around Leblanc again I'll report you. All of you."  
  
He turned and stalked away without a backwards glance.

 

>   
> Akira: You doing okay?

>   
> Futaba: Yeah, what's up?

>   
> Akira:  Just checking.

>   
> Futaba: ?

  
Well that wasn't suspicious at all. Could he tell Sojiro about the situation without revealing the identities of the Phantom Thieves? He didn't want to ruin their lives but he would in a heartbeat if it meant Futaba was protected from Nijima's machinations. Sojiro would probably just tell him not to worry again.  
  
And Futaba hadn't been feeling well lately. Was it fair for him to make her worry about what might be nothing?

 

 

> Akira: Not to make you paranoid or anything but my stalkers are following me around again  
> Akira: If you see a bunch of people my age hanging around outside the house will you call me or Sojiro?  
> Akira: Sorry.  
> Akira: I don't mean to make you worry.  
>   
> Futaba: Woah now, back that truck up.  
> Futaba: What?  
> Futaba: The same stalkers that got you fired?  
>   
> Akira: yeah  
>   
> Futaba: In the unlikely event that my Fortress of Solitude is invaded, you'll be the first one I call, k?  
>   
> Akira: Okay. Sorry. I just had a crap afternoon. Being paranoid.  
>   
> Futaba: Disengage big brother mode.  
> Futaba: [-c°▥°]-c  
>   
> Akira: If I'm turning off big brother mode I'm keeping the manga I bought for you.  
>   
> Futaba: wait let's negotiate

  
  
"That wasn't so bad, right?" Sojiro teased as Akira walked back in to the cafe. His smile faded as he took a better look at his charge. "What's wrong?"  
  
Akira opened his mouth to tell Sojiro everything was fine, but it really wasn't. But what _could_ he say? That Nijima wasn't giving up? That he was worried the Phantom Thieves weren't as good as he previously thought? Maybe he should tell Akechi everything he knew. It wasn't like he was going to think Akira was crazy. Akechi clearly understood Morgana. And oh, he still needed to send a message to Akechi about meeting up to talk about that one. Life was getting complicated.  
  
Akira realized that he'd been standing and staring for a little too long and closed his mouth, shrugging instead.  
  
"Wait, those weren't the kids that bully you at school, were they?"  
  
"They're just nosy." Akira groaned in denial.  
  
"Wanna talk about it?" his guardian offered without a hint of his usual cantankerous demeanor.  
  
Akira took a seat at the bar, slouching forward.  
  
"No, it's just stupid teenage drama." he lied while pillowing his face on his arms. Handily, this also let him hide his face.  
  
He wanted to at least talk to Akechi before making any big decisions. If he could hear Morgana then there was something else going on. And there were all those vague warnings about a game he was somehow wrapped up in.  
  
He pulled out his phone and stared at the empty text input. How does one start that conversation?  
  
_I see you and I have the same hallucination. Want to talk about it over a cup of tea?_  
  
_So yeah my classmates from Shujin (that you're weirdly suspicious of) have a talking cat!_  
  
_Takamaki's just amazing at ventriloquism..._  
  
Okay, definitely not that one. Best to go with something simple.

>   
>  Akira: Hey, you want to hang? When's the next day you're free?

  
He didn't get a response after a couple of minutes so he pocketed his phone and unbagged his new books.  
  
Sojiro had set a cup of coffee at his elbow and he hadn't even noticed. It must have been a while ago because he was now leaning on the counter on the other side of the bar and watching TV.  
  
"Thank you" Akira said, still wondering when he'd done it.  
  
"You're still kind of out of it, aren't you? You should try going to bed early." Sojiro suggested lightly.  
  
"Sure, right after I drink this cup of coffee." He replied dryly, taking his first sip.  
  
"It's decaf." Sojiro rolled his eyes and took the wind right out of Akira's sass sail.

 

* * *

  
Ann and Ryuji didn't try to talk to him at school for the couple of days. Which was good, because he wasn't sure he could manage to be polite. He worked off some of the low, simmering anger and anxiety after school in the batting cages. He stayed close to Yongen-Jaya in the afternoons to keep a look out for Phantom Thieves.  
  
Akechi didn't answer his text message for a day and a half. When he did, it was vague and unhelpful. Maybe he'd show up for some coffee on his usual days, if he wasn't busy catching up on schoolwork.  
  
Haru noticed his unease, of course. The first few days she let him sulk, but then she started putting him to work doing physically demanding jobs during their garden club time. When he finally ran out of things to do he started to contemplate sweeping the roof again. She took the broom out of his hands and set it aside.  
  
"Akira, come and have a seat. I bought some refreshments."  
  
Akira knew from the glint in her eye that it wasn't a suggestion.  
  
"Yes ma'am" he replied with a grin and salute that made her send him a look of in pretend exasperation.  
  
She took him over to one of the rows of desks lined up against a wall and sat down in the chair beside his.  
  
"Mako-chan is distressed." She said without preamble as they sipped their drinks.  
  
She didn't look over at him, she just continued to admire their experimental flower beds. They were working on growing a large batch of annual flowers from seed. When they were large enough they would be transplanted to some of the flowerbeds just inside the school gates.  
  
"How sad for Mako-chan." Akira murmured. He dearly hoped Nijima wasn't using Haru as well. She seemed to genuinely like the other girl's company, even if Akira didn't. He'd eventually noticed that Haru held most other people at arm's length. He didn't even know if Nijima was manipulating Haru. It was only conjecture. He decided he would let the sleeping dog lie for now.  
  
Usually he would love to vent to Haru but this situation was getting trickier every day.  
  
Phantom Thieves and their talking cat? No, not until he spoke to Akechi. Nijima and her friends manipulating him? That would be good if it wouldn't lead to a discussion about the older Nijima's threats. Futaba's condition? It hadn't changed much, just a slow back-slide into isolation and anxiety for the poor girl.  
  
When it was clear that Akira didn’t plan on being forthcoming, Haru tried again.  
  
"She mentioned some misunderstanding between the two of you. She seemed adamant that I make sure you knew that she didn't know her sister had anything to do with whatever it is the two of you are at odds about."  
  
"What did you tell her?" Akira asked, pulling his knees up into the chair with him.  
  
"The same thing I shall tell you. I am not a messenger."  
  
Akira laughed for what was probably the first time all day. "Nice."  
  
"Mako-chan's older sister works for the Public Prosecutors Office. Are you in some sort of trouble?"  
  
"No, but trouble keeps finding me." He huffed. "It's so complicated and there's a lot happening and it's strange and difficult. I don't even know what's safe to talk about." He finally turned his head a little to look at Haru. She was clearly worried, but allowed him all the time he needed to sort himself out and choose his words carefully. It was one of his favorite things about Haru.   
  
"I wanted to speak with Akechi before I did anything else. He's sort of...tangentially involved."  
  
Haru stared at him for a few seconds before carefully asking "How do you mean?"  
  
He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it. He cast around for any way to make himself sound less crazy. Nothing came to mind.  
  
"I can't." he sighed, slumping over so his head was leaning on her shoulder. "It's just too much right now."  
  
"Okay" She agreed easily, and began running a hand through his hair. He took off his glasses and closed his eyes.  
  
They sat in silence for maybe a minute before he could make the words come out.  
  
"I'm worried about Futaba."  
  
The only indication that she had heard was that her hand paused briefly before resuming its slow petting motion.  
  
"You know I'm always here if you want to talk." She told him, her voice soothing his nerves. "Whenever you can talk about it I'm happy to lend an ear. And if you need help, I will do everything I can to assist you."  
  
"Thank you." he replied, voice barely over a whisper. If Haru noticed the tears on his face, she didn't acknowledge them.

 

* * *

  
After school on Thursday, Akira finds himself helping in Leblanc instead of anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop alone in his room. He was goofing off, practicing latte art, when his phone pinged with a message from Futaba.

>   
> Futaba: Kira! Urgent! Double exp!  
>   
> Akira: ?  
>   
> Futaba: I need a new color cartridge for the printer. The one it came with ran out after like two jobs.  
> Futaba: also I think there's a new nerd book out from that author you never shut up about.  
> Futaba: and...can you look for the next Space Cat? And salmon chips!

> Akira: woah now  
> Akira: make me a list. Can I go tomorrow? Assuming this is an Akihabara trip  
>   
> Futaba: the rest can wait but I really really need the ink cart!  
> Futaba: (」ﾟДﾟ」) plz plz plz  
> Futaba: Help me Obi-won Kiranobi!  
>   
> Akira: I'll check with Sojiro. He was going to give me another curry tutorial today

>  

  
"Futaba has an urgent mission for me." Akira said, looking up from his phone. "She sounds like it's desperately important that she gets an ink refill for her new printer. Any idea what she's working on?"  
  
He turned the screen to show a curious Sojiro.  
  
"Obi-what?" He asked, flummoxed.  
  
"It's a movie reference. Pop-culture nerd stuff. So is it okay if I go?"  
  
"Whatever it is, it seems important to her." Sojiro said with a glance back at the kitchen. He rubbed the back of his neck. "You can cook the curry with me tomorrow, yeah? We'll make it for dinner at the house."  
  
Akira nodded and took off his apron. "Want me to get anything while I'm out?"

 

* * *

  
  
Something wasn't right. Arsene had been restless and suspicious ever since he got on the subway, which made Akira paranoid that it was going to crash or break down. Once he made it to Akihabara, he couldn't get to street level fast enough.  
  
The district was full of the usual types, and busy as he would expect for the early afternoon on a Sunday. He picked up Futaba's ink first, which was lucky because it was the last one in stock.  
  
After his mission was accomplished he sent a picture of it to Futaba but she didn't respond right away.  
  
He wandered past an electronic gadget store and a themed cafe and still felt a bit keyed up.  
  
It didn't fade after he took a moment to acquire another gashapon capsule as an apology for Morgana. If anything the feeling intensified. And it wasn't just him. Arsene was now on high alert.  
  
_What is it?_ He asked, looking around surreptitiously. No glint of blue. No Phantom Thieves. No one paying any unusual amount of attention to him.  
  
Akira checked his phone again. Futaba hadn't replied. Hadn't even read his message. That in itself wasn't unusual. She could be busy, he rationalized. Though, maybe he should just...  
  
**_Go home_.** Arsene ordered, apparently in total agreement.  
  
He walked as quickly as he could without making a scene.  
  
He contemplated sending a message to Sojiro as the train rocketed back to Yongen-Jaya but didn't want to seem paranoid if it was nothing. The more agitated Akira let on he was about Futaba the more Sojiro tried to comfort him and that wasn't what he needed right now.

 

* * *

  
It was just how he left it. A lazy summer afternoon. Cicadas humming, sun shining, just a few puffy clouds in the sky. A couple neighbors greeted him as he passed, and he made sure to smile and nod back.  
  
His feet took him towards Leblanc but then he paused. Not the cafe.  
  
He turned and chose a different route.  
  
As he rounded the corner and caught sight of the scene in front of the Sakura residence he couldn't say he was particularly surprised.  
  
"You know," he called as he approached the Phantom Thieves, "Trespassing is illegal."  
  
His previously silenced phone pinged frantically from his pocket as he stared the other teens down.


	7. The Phantom Thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the Metaverse!

 

"I wasn't joking" Akira heard the deadly coolness of his voice but wasn't sure if the others could hear it over the cacophony of his phone.

 

"Hey man, we ain't here to--" Ryuji took a step forward and Nijima swiftly got between them.

 

"We are here on an invitation from Futaba." She stated bluntly. Akira recovered and was preparing a catty remark but was interrupted by not just his phone but _everyone's_ phones chiming at once. Akira switched gears and pulled his phone.

 

 

 

> [11 new messages]
> 
>  
> 
> Futaba: ims orry im sorry dont' be mad
> 
> Futaba: i told them to
> 
> Futaba: don't tell Sojiro!
> 
> Futaba: just stop for a second and let me explain
> 
> Futaba: Don't call the police
> 
> Futaba: please
> 
>  

 

 

 

> Group Chat
> 
> Alibaba: AKIRA STOP
> 
> Alibaba: Someone stop him!
> 
> Alibaba: Just come inside.

 

"Perhaps this discussion is best left for once we are indoors." Yusuke suggested as he looked up from his own phone.

 

It wasn't like there was much of a choice. A lot of this was probably best said behind closed doors anyway. Akira let out an annoyed huff as he stormed past the group.

 

"Don't make a mess." He griped as he opened the gate and unlocked the front door. He went inside and walked off without waiting for the rest of them. On the way to the kitchen he sent a quick reply to Futaba in case she was still flipping out.

 

 

 

> Akira: Not mad.
> 
> Akira: Not at you, anyway

 

He put away the snacks as the Phantom Thieves congregated around the kitchen and the nearby dining table. Morgana hopped up on the counter closest to Akira.

 

"Do you live here, Akira-kun?" Ann was, curiously looking about the house--or at least what she could see from the kitchen--while absently twirling the end of a pigtail around her finger.

 

"What's it to you?" He was being petulant but he couldn't help himself today. This was not how he wanted things to go. Maybe it was good that the Phantom Thieves had finally made their move but he couldn't help but think he had permanently lost the advantage.

 

"Tch. Touchy." Ryuji scoffed, scarcely louder than a whisper. The kitchen was so quiet that there was no doubt that everyone heard it.

 

 

>  
> 
> Akira: Are you sure about this?
> 
>  
> 
> Futaba: I need their help
> 
>  
> 
> Akira: can you handle it if everyone's in the hall all at once?
> 
> Akira: There's five of them, not including me.
> 
>  
> 
> Futaba: I can handle it.
> 
>  
> 
> Akira: Tell me if it changes
> 
>  

"'can she handle it'? What--" Nijima began, making Akira snatch his phone away and hid the screen from her prying eyes.

 

"Excuse _you_. Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to read other peoples' private messages?" Akira snarked. "Tell me how the Phantom Thieves steal hearts." There were a number of significant glances traded about the room, but no answer was forthcoming.

 

"Morgana already said it was more complicated than blackmail. You use the Metaverse somehow, right?" A couple of the thieves jumped in surprise at his words. And he thought his poker face needed work.

 

"I told you before, it's a trade secret!" Morgana huffed as his tail swished wildly across the counter top. "We can't share with non-members."

 

"Then I can't let you meet with Futaba." Akira said flatly. "I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

 

"I'm sure we can negotiate something." Nijima placated before Morgana or Ryuji could reveal what they thought of Akira's dismissal.

 

He met Nijima's gaze. "Futaba has it hard enough without you guys coming in to do who knows what to her. If you don't want me to call the authorities you will either tell me how the Phantom Thieves steal hearts or you will vacate the premises. You don't get a third choice."

 

"We're not gonna hurt her, damn! We're gonna help her!" Ryuji burst out, offended.

 

"Yes, we would not harm her." Yusuke confirmed as the rest of them nodded in agreement.

 

"You know that, right?" Morgana asked, his ears and whiskers gone droopy. "We didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

 

Akira, always a sucker, let out a deep sigh and scrubbed at his face underneath his glasses.

 

"How did you even know about her if not from Nijima's sister?" he questioned, trying a different approach. If he wasn't going to get the million-yen question answered he could at least solve some other mysteries.

 

"Well..." Ann began, pulling her phone out and swiping on the screen. "She contacted us first." Ann handed her phone to Akira.

 

 

 

> Unknown Number: phantom thieves, I have a bargain for you
> 
>  
> 
> Ann: Like the real phantom thieves? Are you a phantom thief??
> 
>  
> 
> Unknown Number: don't play dumb with me. I know who you and all your friends are, Ann Takamaki. Lots of information the police would be very interested in.
> 
>  
> 
> Ann: what do you want?
> 
> Ann: How did you get this number??
> 
>  
> 
> Unknown Number: I need you to steal a heart.
> 
>  
> 
> Ann: whose? We need a name at least.
> 
>  
> 
> Unknown Number: Futaba Sakura.
> 
>  
> 
> Ann: why do you want their heart changed? Who are they to you? Where are they? What have they done?
> 
>  
> 
> Unknown Number: figure it out. If you refuse I tell the police all about your merry band of thieves.
> 
> Unknown Number: I will contact you later.
> 
>  
> 
> [Text failed to send]
> 
>  
> 
>  

Akira smirked. "She just did this out of the blue?"

 

"Yeah, with some really shitty timing, too." Ryuji groused, kicking his toe against the floor. "Can you call her off? We got more important things to do."

 

"Oh?" Akira asked, curious despite himself.

 

"Yes! It's inconvenient because of all the studying we've been doing for the upcoming exams." Nijima saved, shooting a sharp look at Ryuji. "And we have plenty of time to help Kurusu-kun and Futaba-chan _and_ complete our review."

 

Ann and Ryuji shifted uncomfortably, and Akira was fascinated. He wondered what Phantom Thief business was coded as "studying".

 

"At first she was blackmailing us but then attempted to call it off once she realized that we required close proximity to fulfill her request. By that point we had already upset you and to be honest...we were worried about her well being. She has a palace and she was desperate enough to trap us into assisting her. It would be unkind to simply ignore someone in need."

 

"A palace?" More significant looks were sent around the room, leaving Akira to wonder if they had telepathy along with their mysterious phantom thievery powers.

 

"Oh, come on! Let's just tell him. He's not gonna do anything evil. He's just worried about his friend." Ann said, making up the group's mind for them. "Akira-kun, we use a navigation app that helps us locate people who have unusually distorted desires within the Metaverse. We enter their part of the Metaverse and then remove the source of their distortion."

 

"Does it hurt them?"

 

"My sensei showed no obvious signs of discomfort after his heart was changed, aside from emotional distress stemming from the guilt he felt for his crimes." Yusuke informed him confidently.

 

Akira thought it over, using the pretense of checking his phone to stall for time. It was a very different situation if Futaba wanted them to muck around in her heart and remove a distortion. But would she feel the same afterwards? The previous targets of the Phantom Thieves were criminals who confessed and repented for their crimes. But what would Futaba need to repent for? The only crime she had probably committed was hacking, but that was usually for information. She didn't do anything evil, did she? And if she was, he doubted she would call the thieves on herself.

 

Distortion…

 

Her agoraphobia? Survivor's guilt? This was usually something best left to doctors. But...she had already seen doctors and none of them had a clue about how to help. Sojiro had all but given up. It was part of why he encouraged her and Akira's friendship--it was the only progress she'd made in over a year. In her situation, wouldn't anyone be tempted to have their fears and guilt spirited away?

 

_Nothing to add?_

 

_**This is a decision you must make for yourself.** _

 

He didn't want to get involved, but leaving Futaba to suffer was unthinkable. A stolen heart could give Futaba her life back. In the end, there wasn't much of anything to decide.

 

"I have conditions." He informed the tense room.

 

Nijima nodded magnanimously, waiting for him to continue.

 

" _If_ I let you talk to her, I need you to give me your word that you will leave immediately if I tell you to. She can get overwhelmed when it's just me or Boss outside her door."

 

"We agree that we will leave for the day and then regroup and try again another time." Nijima answered.

 

It was downright reasonable. Respectful. Not something he would usually associate with this group. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

 

"I mean it. This isn't a game. I can always swing by Leblanc and tell Goro Akechi about our house guests. I'm sure he'd love a formal introduction." The likelihood of following through with the threat shrunk by the minute but he needed to hold on to something for leverage if only to soothe his own fears.

 

"That is acceptable" Yusuke agreed, and the rest of them nodded. Akira was probably more transparent than he'd like to be. Oh well.

 

"Okay. But I want to talk to her first." He led the group out of the kitchen and to the hallway outside of Futaba's room. He lightly rapped his knuckles on the frame.

 

"Futaba? Can we talk?" He asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

 

Abruptly, the door opened and he was dragged in by his shirt sleeve. The door slammed shut behind him.

 

The only light in the room was a blue-green glow from a collection of monitors that surrounded a high-backed desk chair. Futaba's skull knocked into his sternum as she hugged him. Even as he grunted in pain at the impact his arms automatically closed around her in kind. She was murmuring something that was probably "I'm sorry I'm sorry don't be mad" but he couldn't be sure because her face was pressed into his shirt. Seeing her in tears made a lump rise in his own throat. He tried to ward it off by swallowing hard. Now was not the time.

 

They stood like that for a couple minutes before she pulled away, wiping her eyes.

 

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked, patiently waiting for her to collect herself.

 

"I contacted them last week because I wanted them to change my heart. I want to be able to leave the house. I wanna sit in the cafe and try your crappy coffee. I want to go to school."

 

"Okay." He soothed. "They're willing to try. But what do you think they're going to do?"

 

"They'll st-steal my heart and take the bad stuff out like they did for all those other people."

 

"But you don't have 'bad stuff' like their other targets, Futaba. What do you want them to take away?"

 

"I..." Her face crumpled and Akira immediately regretted pushing. He carefully moved closer and wrapped her up in another hug. She hung on for dear life. "'Kira it's gotten worse and I just want to get better. I can't." she choked on her words and her breath hitched, but she still did her best to get him to understand. "I'm hear--hearing things that aren't--" She broke down again.

 

 _Hearing things_ , he realized with dawning horror.

 

"We'll fix it." He promised out of nowhere, resolving to do whatever he could to make it happen. He didn't even know for sure if this would help--didn't know if it could be fixed at all--but nothing would stop him from trying. "I'll talk to the Phantom Thieves and they'll steal your heart."

 

She clutched him closer and he let her cry it out, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He looked around the room as she sobbed into his chest. Despite the low light he could see that the room was covered in trash and piles of laundry. More than a few dirty dishes were sitting out on her end table. A couple minutes in to Futaba's breakdown, the bedroom door cracked open to reveal a concerned Ann in the narrow opening. He gave her a tight smile as she took in the scene before just as silently closing the door.

 

When she finally calmed, Akira called out to the thieves. "What do you need to know?" Futaba jerked a little at the volume of his voice but didn't otherwise react.

 

"What does she think of this house?" One of the girls answered, probably Nijima.

 

In almost a monotone, Futaba murmured just loud enough for Akira to hear. "I'm going to die here. I'm already in my grave."

 

"No, you're not." Akira asserted, just for her ears. He didn't want to leave her after all that, but what choice was there? "I want to go with them to make sure they don't do anything weird. Are you going to be okay for a few hours?"

 

And Futaba, bless her, nodded in affirmation. It was most likely a lie but she was attempting a brave face. Or Maybe she just didn't have any energy left to be afraid.

 

"I'll be back soon." He told her with a final squeeze and he left, taking care of only open the door the minimum amount for the least amount of time.

 

A group of somber faces awaited him in the hall. "I have the answer, now what?" Nijima gestured for him to follow and they all took the short walk back to the kitchen. She pulled out her phone and clearly intoned "Futaba Sakura, Sakura home."

 

"Candidate found" The phone answered in a feminine robotic voice that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Nijima had the same Meta-Nav app that had been on his phone for months.

 

"We have a name, a location that is the center of the distortion, and all we need to know now is the form that the distortion takes." She looked to Akira, who was still scrutinizing the phone.

 

"Where did you get that app?" If they were about to intentionally use the thing he'd like to know more about it. Who better to ask than the vigilantes using it all over Tokyo?

 

"Uhh.." Nijima answered eloquently, startled by the question.

 

"Surely it's not another trade secret, right?" He asked the room. "Did it appear out of nowhere on your phones one day?"

 

"Yeah…how do you know that?" Ann asked, craning her neck to watch as Akira pulled out his phone to show off his own Meta-Nav.

 

"It's been there since April. I've only used it once after it activated itself and pulled me into the Metaverse while I was in the subway." He felt chilled as he remembered his first encounter with the other world.

 

"We don't know, honestly." Nijima murmured, thinking it over as she got over her surprise. "Morgana?"

 

"Well don't look at me! _I_ don't need an app to get into the Metaverse! That's you guys."

 

"You really don't know?" Akira prodded him.

 

"No…but there's a lot I don't remember. We're using it carefully, regardless of where it came from! We have rules, you know." Morgana defended, ears flat against his head. Akira merely nodded and dropped it for the time being.

 

"Futaba said the house is her grave." He addressed Nijima. "She thinks she's never going to leave and that she'll die here"

 

"Conditions are not met." replied the phone.

 

Nijima shook her head. "Let's attempt to think of something more symbolic. We've found that palaces usually manifest as large, sprawling locations."

 

"Kamoshida thought the school was his palace." Morgana added as an example.

 

Yusuke, leaning on the door frame, stroked his chin in thought. "My sensei perceived his atelier as an art museum."

 

"A cemetery?" Ryuji asked, looking hopefully towards the phone.

 

"Conditions are not met."

 

"A morgue? A hospital?" Nijima tried.

 

"Conditions are not met."

 

"Perhaps Hell? Necropolis?" suggested Yusuke.

 

"Conditions are not met."

 

Somewhere for the dead or dying. "Hospice? Catacombs? A tomb?"

 

The air around them pulsed and shimmered.

 

"Input accepted. Searching for route to destination."

 

"Still gonna come with?" Ryuji clapped a hand on Akira's shoulder and gave it a friendly nudge. Akira nodded as confidently as he could. The last time he'd been in the Metaverse it hadn't gone well. But this time he would have allies. How bad could it be?

 

Nijima activated the Meta-Nav and the world trembled as they were pulled into the other dimension.

 

* * *

 

 

Instead of the dark, dank subway tunnels, this part of the Metaverse was dry. There was sand underneath his feet and it was so bright that Akira had to shield his eyes from the glare.

 

"Where are we?" He asked as his sight adjusted. They were standing in a desolate landscape of flat sand that stretched on endlessly past the horizon in every direction. The only feature of note was a pyramid surrounded by a city about a mile away.

 

"This is inside Futaba's heart." Nijima said, shielding her own eyes with a hand as she looked towards the pyramid. "And if I had to guess, that's where we can find her treasure."

 

"Don't worry, Akira! We'll save her!" called Morgana. Akira turned to the cat and jumped in surprise.

 

Instead of the usual cat shape, Morgana had transformed into what could be described as a very short cat mascot. The bandanna that was green in the real world was now a bright yellow scarf. His head was disproportionately large but his smirk and bright blue eyes made him easily identifiable as Morgana, the cat that sat in the desk in front of his practically every school day.

 

"What do you think? This is my real form!"

 

"Uh." Akira looked around for help, but all he saw was amused smiles. "I'm impressed. I didn't realize how good your cat form was as camouflage."

 

Morgana puffed out his chest at the perceived compliment, which made Akira smile for real. He may have changed shape but he was definitely the same Morgana.

 

"Mona, do you think you could give us a ride?" Ann asked hopefully, already wilting under the blazing sun.

 

"Of course!" Morgana crowed, and took a running leap away from them. With a cartoonish poof, there was suddenly a Morgana-colored van in front of them.

 

Akira stared dumbly as the doors of the van opened on its own and the Phantom Thieves began to pile in.

 

"You get used to it." Nijima assured him as she went by. Akira couldn't suppress the sudden bark of laughter that bubbled up. This was insane and he had a feeling that the day had only just begun. He carefully climbed into the front seat and rode shotgun as Nijima drove.

 

It wouldn't have been an excessively long walk, but all the same it was nice to not have to be out under the sun for so long. Only poor Morgana had to have the sunlight beat down on him as he carried the rest of the team towards the palace. The thieves spent the ride explaining some of the finer details of their trade and how they fought shadows inside said palaces. They even dug out an extra weapon for him to use.

 

“A gun?” Akira questioned as Ryuji handed it to him. It was surprisingly heavy for its size. “Isn't that kind of...conspicuous for phantom thieves?” He asked as he put it into the belt holster that Nijima provided for him.

 

“We do things a little differently” Morgana replied vaguely, his voice coming from all around them.

 

He was also given each of their code names, which he found equal parts silly and cool. Since they were in Futaba's palace, it apparently didn't matter as much if they used their real names or code names so Akira didn't get one.

 

“You're taking this well.” Nijima--Queen--said, glancing over from the driver's seat.

 

He turned from his sight seeing out the window and shrugged. This was nothing.

 

“Mona told us that you've only been to Mementos once so this would be your second time in the Metaverse, correct?”

 

“Yeah. I wasn't in a hurry to come back after the last time.”

 

“I can imagine.” she grimaced.

 

“He's been to Mementos? Alone? Dude.” Ryuji/Skull perked up, clearly impressed. He looked like he wanted more details of Akira's Mementos adventure but there wasn't much to say.

 

“I got lucky.” Akira volunteered. “My persona stalled for time and I ran. After going through that…” he trailed off with a shrug. He didn’t like to think about it, especially now that he had confirmation that it was real and how narrow his escape truly was.

 

The car was mostly quiet until they were nearing the outskirts of the ruins surrounding the pyramid. A person--or something person-shaped--walked next to a camel loaded down with a number of saddlebags and bundles. Almost all of the person's skin was covered by cloth to protect them from the harsh sun and sand. When they were spotted, the figure halted to flag them down.

 

“What in the world…?” Queen murmured. “Mona, let’s approach cautiously. We don’t want to get too close in case it’s not friendly.”

 

“You think it’s a monster?” Akira asked in puzzlement. It certainly moved like a human.

 

“It’s more likely to be a cognition--a facsimile of someone important to Futaba. Her perception of them will affect their behavior here within her heart.” Yusuke, a.k.a Fox, mused bending forward to monitor the figure through the front windshield. The car stopped at a distance that would give them enough time to react should the being become violent.

 

It turned out to be a person--human, even. A little black hair was peeking out from under their head covering and they were cupping their hands over their mouth to shout to them.

 

“Hail!" He called. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

 

The thieves all exchanged glances. Panther and Skull were the first to move. Akira followed and the three of them carefully approached the unknown person. The rest of the thieves hung back, ready to come to their aid if necessary.

 

"Hello hello!” the figure called when they were all close enough for a regular conversation. Something was familiar about this cognition, but Akira wasn't sure why until they took off their head covering.

 

It was like looking into a mirror.

 

"Daaang!"

 

"Hello, Akira-kun!" Panther greeted with a wide smile which was returned by the Akira clone.

 

"Well, would you look at that!" The doppelganger marveled, then smirked at Akira. "Hey, cutie."

 

Akira scoffed to hide a laugh, which made Panther and Skull gawk at him instead of the cognition.

 

“I think that's the first smile I've ever seen on his face." Skull stage-whispered to Panther, who elbowed her friend in the side to shush him.

 

“Uh, hi.” Akira responded when it looked like the cognition was going to play favorites. And why wouldn't he? Futaba knew he wasn't fond of the thieves. “What are you doing here?”

 

"Oh, yes! How rude of me! Welcome, travelers! Master Tradesman Kurusu, at your service." The trader gave them a deep bow, then lifted his head to grin toothily at them. "And you! Is this _your_ caravan, you handsome devil!?" he asked with undisguised interest, stepping closer to get a better look at them. "You certainly don't look like grave robbers." He strolled around them and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

 

This was Futaba's perception of Akira. He played the jester, but Akira didn't miss the scimitar in the cognition's belt or the sharp glint in his eye. He turned warily as his clone circled them so that his back was never exposed. It was likely that upsetting this cognition would lead to fight with a powerful enemy, if she believed in him enough. He would face down demons to protect Futaba, but did _she_ know that?

 

"Hey, eh--Akira." Akira addressed the cognition awkwardly, making his counterpart zero in on him.

 

"What's up, buttercup?" Somewhere to his left, Skull stifled a laugh.

 

"Is Futaba in the pyramid over there?" he gestured his head over to the looming monument.

 

"The Pharaoh? Of course! Always is."

 

"And you bring trade goods to her?"

 

"I do indeed! Looking to shop?"

 

"I--" He paused, suddenly curious what the cognitive equivalent of his 'minion quests' were. "What do you have?"

 

"What indeed! You want it, I get it! All in service to the Pharaoh of course." He bounded over to the camel and pulled a silk rope dangling from a large saddlebag. With an enormous poof of smoke the camel vanished and was replaced with an ornate tent housing a bazaar of goods sitting on rugs strewn across the sandy ground.

 

The master tradesman bounced on the heels of his feet as he presented his wares. "Have a look around, Ladies and Gents!"

 

Slowly, they wandered about the spread of goods. Akira trailed a hand over a broken DVD case of classic Featherman, a tie-dyed scrunchie, and turned over a plastic container to find it was full of Leblanc curry and rice. Most of the things were junk to his eyes, like the box of miscellaneous electronic parts, but probably held some sort of significance to Futaba.

 

The most interesting thing Akira happened across was a rolled up scroll sitting underneath an empty bag of potato chips. The scroll was made of battered parchment and tied with a leather cord. He looked up to find the cognition staring straight back at him, ignoring everyone else as they picked their way though the goods.

 

"Nothing catch your interest? Well at least take a free sample!" He chirped, pressing the scroll into Akira's hand. "That'll get you on your way at least. Don't lose it." He said with an exaggerated wink and a pat on Akira's hand, now closed around the worn papyrus.

 

A loud chime sounded from inside the tent. The cognitive Akira dashed over and picked up a tablet displaying a mess of glowing green text scrolling against a black background.

 

"That'll be the boss! Time to get back to work." he tugged the same rope a second time and with a second puff of thick smoke, his trade goods and tent were back to being saddle bags loaded neatly on the camel. He hoisted himself up to sit on the camel's back and waved.

 

"Take care! Bon Voyage! See ya! Knock 'em dead!" he called as his camel trotted away, vanishing almost as quickly as he appeared.

 

"Well, that was something." Ann was the first one to speak up after the cognition left, unsuccessfully hiding a smile. There was laughter, perhaps at his expense, but Akira was more interested in his new acquisition. He pulled at the cord, letting it fall to the sand. He carefully unrolled the scroll to find an extensive map of the pharaoh's tomb--complete with annotations and outlined shortcuts. Akira took a knee to share it with Morgana.

 

An outside edge of the pyramid was circled in bright red with the word "shortcut" in what he suddenly realized was his own handwriting.

 

"Wow!" Morgana all but shouted as he grabbed one side of the map. "This is--it's incredible! Our infiltration route is all but secured!"

 

The rest of the thieves crowded around with varying degrees of wonder.

 

"This simplifies matters considerably." Yusuke observed, looking up from a sketchpad that Akira hadn't noticed until that moment.

 

"Is it wise to place our trust in this map?" Queen asked hesitantly. "It's possible that it could lead us straight into a trap."

 

"Hmmm..." Mona gave this some serious thought.

 

"If he handed it to any of us I'd be suspicious. But he handed it to Akira-kun." Panther said thoughtfully. "Futaba-chan trusts him, so wouldn't the cognition trust him too?"

 

"It's possible. It all depends on how Futaba perceives Akira." Morgana turned to him. "So what do you think? Is this real?"

 

What did Futaba think of him?

 

According to Sojiro, Futaba had never been someone who made friends easily, not even when her mother was alive. Akira had been unconscious for their first in-person encounter suffering from the worst sickness he'd ever been through. It must have been as intimidating as a waterlogged kitten with a head cold. After their first couple of conversations Futaba started coming out of her room to keep him company while he recovered. Futaba had been the one to insist that they all eat dinner at the kitchen table a few times a week after Akira moved back to the cafe.

 

They were friends. She and Haru were the ones that knew him best. But did she think him trustworthy?

 

He thought of how she yanked him into her room--somewhere even Sojiro could not go--to comfort her and allow herself to cry. Idly, he pulled his still-damp shirt collar away from his skin. He glanced and found that he was once again the center of attention.

 

"Yeah. We can trust it."

 

"Aww, that's sweet!" Ann gushed, making Akira roll his eyes.

 

"She's like a little sister. Don't get any ideas." Akira flatly informed her, occupying himself with the map again. He and Morgana turned it around so it was presumably in the same orientation as the pyramid before them.

 

"Yup! I think we've got it. Everyone ready?" He must have liked what he saw because he set off towards the pyramid with a nod. The rest of the Phantom Thieves--and Akira--followed.

 

After walking about a quarter of the perimeter of the pyramid, they were all suffering from the heat and no one was much in the mood for conversation. It was a far cry from the relative comfort of the Mona Express.

 

They nearly walked past a cracked section of the wall. They might have completely missed it if it weren't for Akira pausing to investigate. He rested a hand against the cracked stone and pushed. When it did nothing he placed his shoulder against it and heaved himself into the wall, which eventually shifted. He jumped back as soon as he felt movement. The sandstone brick now had an indentation around the cracked section but it would need more encouragement to come down.

 

He turned to the interested group of Phantom Thieves. “Anyone have some explosives?”

 

He was answered by five mischievous grins.

 

* * *

 

 

They did in fact have explosives--of a sort. Ann’s persona specialized in fire attacks and it didn't take much for her to bring it crashing down.

 

They tentatively stepped through the improvised entrance, keeping Akira in the center. The cool air of the pyramid was a welcome respite from the harsh weather outside. After his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, Akira noticed that everyone's--except for Mona and himself--had been transformed into some outlandish outfits. He had been warned, but it was still a bit of a shock to see three of them suddenly dressed in leather and all of them in masks.

 

He looked around and could see a rope ladder hanging on a wall just ahead of them. Skull was the first one to experimentally tug on it and found that it held his weight.

 

"Mona, you oughtta try it out first. You're the lightest." He addressed the cat-monster as he continued to inspect the ladder. "Look for any flaws in the rope as you go."

 

"Leave it to me!" Mona affirmed as he deftly hauled himself up the ladder. They could barely see Mona by the time he called that he had reached the top.

 

Queen went second, and then it was Akira's turn. It wasn't so bad, except for the couple times his foot missed the rope as he climbed. Eventually he made it to the top and Queen helped to haul him up onto the ledge where she and Mona were standing. The rope creaked as the next person started their climb and Akira took the opportunity to have a look around.

 

It was a pyramid reminiscent of something in old movies, except the hieroglyphics on the walls were much more modern than expected. Binary and symbols Akira associated with computer gibberish were scrolled here and there along the walls. A distant pillar had lines of a green glow that cast its own light, as well as the odd pedestal lantern that burned an eerie magenta.

 

"Morg--Mona? What is that?" He asked as the cat creature joined him in looking far below the platform they stood on to see a patrolling...mummy?

 

"A shadow!" Mona explained. "They can't help but be attracted to the distortion of a palace. Stay close--You don't want to run into one of those without backup."

 

"Got it." Akira furrowed his brow, watching the mummy lumber about as it patrolled the length of the corridor and then enter the next room.

 

"What are we looking for?" He asked. Might as well do some intel gathering as they waited for the others.

 

* * *

 

 

Seeing the Phantom Thieves in battle was a fascinating experience. They worked as a team, often deferring to Queen as she studied their enemies to determine their next move. They worked together smoothly and made sure that everyone did a fair share of the work so that no one got tired. Even Akira contributed with some careful sharpshooting from the back line. There were some enemies they had to avoid or even in one case, run from. Mona explained that the team had what amounted to elemental weaknesses like the combat system in the RPG Futaba kept demanding he play. They were used to playing it safe.

 

And the personas--everyone had a unique persona to help them in battle. Akira tried reaching for Arsene while the rest of the group was in combat but came up empty. Arsene had been silent since they'd entered the Metaverse. He was still present, Akira knew, but either his persona was unwilling or unable to converse with him. The most he got was a vague feeling of unease that tipped him off a few times to oncoming danger.

 

The map continued to be a great help for avoiding traps and for short-cutting their way to the treasure. Mona claimed they were getting closer all the time. Three areas were circled in red with exclamation points but no label. When they reached the location of the first one, the pharaoh was waiting for them.

 

A version of Futaba with yellow, faintly glowing eyes was in expensive robes and a circlet that immediately identified her as pharaoh. She looked them over with a critical eye before her gaze settled on Akira.

 

"You're here to help her, are you not?" She demanded imperiously.

 

"Yes." Akira confirmed. "We're stealing her heart, on her request."

 

"You believe you can?"

 

"We're certainly going to try."

 

Akira and the shadow eyed one another for a few tense seconds before she strolled away with a dark chuckle. "Then try."

 

Akira looked to Mona and Queen, who were just as confounded at the encounter as he was. "Is that normal?"

 

"I believe this is the first palace ruler who has not attacked on sight." Yusuke pondered out loud. "Perhaps we have our new companion to thank. Despite having a persona, his clothes have yet to transform. He must not be considered a threat by the pharaoh."

 

"Or maybe he just sucks at summoning his persona." Ryuji threw in with a shrug.

 

"It's not for lack of trying." Akira informed them dryly in attempt to hide his discomfort at being essentially defenseless while surrounded by all manner of unfriendlies.

 

The only obvious thing in the area that could be the reason for the map marker was a pedestal topped by a statue of a bird with spread wings. He tentatively reached a hand out and touched the panel in front of the statue. He was rewarded by it coming to life like a tablet or phone coming out of sleep mode. This by itself would have been remarkable, but it seemed that there were more surprises in store. There was a distant rumble of movement beyond the corridor they stood within and suddenly the place was lit up by a brilliant stream of light. All of them ducked at once, despite the fact that the beam was at least a meter above them. Akira covered his head with his arms as he went down. When he was brave enough to look up again he saw that the beam of light was hitting the reflective surface on top of the bird statue. He touched the panel again from his half-squat.

 

On the opposite wall, a large display lit up and showed...some sort of picture. Futaba was recognizable, but anything beyond that was scrambled.

 

"Good work!" Mona praised, patting Akira on the leg on his way over to get a closer look at the wall picture. Akira checked the console again and saw a few rudimentary controls. He tapped a couple and part of the picture moved. A puzzle, then?

 

The picture turned out to be of a group of people reading something to a crying Futaba. Once the picture was restored they heard some odd disembodied voices echo through the tomb.

 

"I never should have had Futaba...she's such a bother. Perhaps your mother had some kind of maternity neurosis?" a man's voice observed in a oddly theatrical tone.

 

What?

 

"It seems that you caused your mother a great deal of pain and suffering, Futaba."

 

WHAT??

 

The statue moved and moved to reflect the beam of light through the completed picture, opening more of the main corridor.

 

"Was that a suicide note?" Queen asked hesitantly in the ensuing silence.

 

"Could that be what Futaba remembers of her mother's death?" Yusuke added, horrified.

 

"That's a fucking sick thing to do to a kid if that's for real." Ryuji was simmering in anger. Ann said nothing but was near tears.

 

Akira hadn't spent much time with any of these people but he suddenly felt as if he'd known them for years. Despite the inconveniences, they'd never meant any real harm. And they were determined to help Futaba, even while Akira threatened to report them to the police.

 

And that didn't sound like Futaba's mother. Sojiro had shared a very different picture of Wakeba with Akira, and he wasn't the type to sugarcoat things. Perhaps this was the distortion? Was Futaba blowing something out of proportion or perhaps remembering things wrong? Her mother's death had definitely traumatized her. And Akira knew there was a gap of time between Wakeba's death and when Sojiro finally won custody. Had someone convinced her that her mother resented her?

 

And those voices the same as the ones she was hearing? No wonder she struggled. Anyone would, living that nightmare.

 

"This isn't right." Akira said softly. "That's not what happened." he added firmly, now meeting Queen's eyes. She nodded once in affirmation.

 

"Perhaps it's best if we move on. We are likely to encounter more clues as we close in on the treasure." Yusuke said from just behind Akira. "Do not dwell too deeply on this." Yusuke advised him privately as the others regrouped and prepared to leave. "You are here so that you may help her overcome the distortion within her heart. Her suffering will soon ease."

 

Akira nodded tightly, too overcome with emotion to answer properly. Skull set his arm cross Akira's shoulders, walking with him towards their next goal.

 

* * *

 

 

"Safe room!" Panther pointed out a door that shimmered like the world around them did when they entered the Metaverse. Akira followed as they all hastened for the door. The room inside briefly transformed into Futaba's bedroom and then back again when Akira blinked.

 

"Cognition is weak here so we can take a break and not have to worry about shadows." Mona explained as everyone scattered about the room and dug out snacks. Panther and Skull even came up with refreshments for him, which he politely thanked them for before drinking half the bottle.

 

After a few minutes of rest, Akira pulled out the map again, spreading it across a table for all of them to see. The room they were in was unmarked. The next red circle was not far, especially if they made use of an upcoming shortcut.

 

"We're making great time!" Morgana told the team as he pointed out how far they'd already come. They were more than halfway to their goal and no one seemed to be tired. "We'll be able to secure our route today and then change her heart in no time!"

 

Akira dwelled on the cat-creature's words. Now that he was "in" the Metaverse with the Phantom Thieves, would they answer some lingering questions?

 

"Can you convince them to change their ways the normal way or is this some kind of unnatural thing, these distortions?"

 

"I don't know." Mona replied, pensive. "We've never tried."

 

"Not even once?"

 

"We didn't think of it." He shrugged.

 

Instead of answering, Akira looked around the room. Queen was sheepish, and the others were thinking it through.

 

"What about trying it with Futaba?" He asked, now more confident. "I don't like the idea of changing the way someone thinks even with their consent. It sounds like a lobotomy."

 

All of the thieves immediately erupted with protests, sending Akira a step back in surprise.

 

"It's not nearly so extreme--"

 

"The target retains most of--"

 

"Hey, we ain't going around making vegetables--"

 

"Akira! We wouldn't--"

 

"HEY!" Mona yelled over the cacophony, jumping in the air and waving his short arms to get everyone's attention. "Let's not get off-track. We're not stealing her treasure today, only securing the route. We can go over the details _after_ we've finished our work here in the palace."

 

They eased off but Akira still couldn't leave it alone. It was the second time that day that the Phantom Thieves had admitted their ignorance of their heart-stealing business. The questions ate at him as they progressed from the safe room to the second marked area.

 

It was another puzzle, depicting Futaba's mother…falling into traffic? As Futaba herself cried alone next to the road. The scene didn't look like a suicide, just a horrifying accident. There was no commentary from the others when this puzzle was solved, even when they had to listen to a round of disembodied verbal abuse.

 

Akira stared at the wall where the scene had been pictured before it disappeared in the bright beam of light that shone on into the next blockade. Who had that been reading Wakeba's apparent suicide note? Who would go out of their way to be so cruel to a child? Particularly one grieving for her mother?

 

"Akira?" Queen gently called his name and lightly touched his arm. "Let's get going to the next lock. We're almost finished."

 

He nodded silently and followed the group as they headed back to the main corridor.

 

* * *

 

 

The third and final wall puzzle was much calmer. It depicted Futaba pulling at her mother's clothes. It was the only puzzle where they heard Futaba's voice after they solved it.

 

"Mom...I'm tired of eating dinner alone all the time. It's always just convenience store bentos. I want to go somewhere! Take me on a trip!" She sounded younger. Whinier.

 

"Don't be so selfish!" a woman's voice, presumably Wakeba, snapped back. "You know I'm working hard to support you, right?! Ugh!"

 

This was most definitely at odds with Sojiro's memory. This _was_ the distortion. Futaba was not remembering her mother the way she was, but how the suicide letter painted her. Akira was now certain that the suicide letter was fake. It _had_ to be. But why would anyone want to make Futaba believe her mother hated her? What could anyone possibly gain from such a cruel deception?

 

He was interrupted from his rumination by the platform turning to reflect the light through the wall on to the last door between them and the area marked "goal!" on their map. He turned to tell the others to find Futaba's shadow standing next to him. He jolted in surprise.

 

"I killed her." she said in a monotone. "And I will die here."

 

"No you didn't, Futaba-chan!" Panther yelled before Akira got the chance. "Don't say that!"

 

Instead of replying, the shadow disappeared.

 

* * *

 

 

They climbed the last few steps to finally reach the summit of the long corridor. The blockade door slid open to show them another door--but this one was glowing and had a very familiar sign hanging from it. It looked just like the entrance to Futaba's room in the real world. Akira reached up to pull down the barrier tape only to have it and the sign dissolve at his touch.

 

The glowing door opened to reveal--an elevator? Akira looked back to the group. "Shall we?"

 

They all piled in and road the elevator up.

 

The next room was possibly-- _im_ possibly--as large as the entire outside of the pyramid. The distant walls glowed green, blue, and red and had all sorts of graphics and code scrolling across them. Akira tuned in to the last part of the conversation the thieves were having beside him when Mona mentioned that he could sense the treasure ahead of them.

 

They slowly picked their way across the massive space, ducking, hiding, and sometimes even outright fighting shadows between them and their goal. Akira wished he could be more helpful than a spotter and a back-line sniper, but Arsene was still giving him the silent treatment.

 

They shoved open the final door to enter a shadowed room with a large sarcophagus and little else. A black haze hovered in the air above it. The roof of the room was clearly the top of the pyramid. All that fuss just to get to the top? The map wasn't much of a short cut.

 

Unless…they needed to complete the puzzles? Cognitive Akira most likely had Futaba's best interests at heart. He couldn't imagine Futaba didn't know that.

 

"Akira?" Skull prompted. "We're headin' back. We'll make a calling card and deliver it tomorrow."

 

"Oh." Akira looked away from the haze. "You actually need to send those?"

 

"Yup! Knowing their treasure is threatened changes their cognition so it becomes tangible, and therefore stealable." Mona piped up, coming to stand on Akira's other side.

 

"If everyone else is amendable, we can the calling card to Futaba-chan tomorrow and then steal her treasure right after." Queen proposed.

 

"I still think we should--"

 

"You should help her accept the truth." Shadow Futaba appeared out of nowhere once again, the giant sarcophagus between her and them. "Despite the pain, she must open her eyes.

 

"I'm impressed you've made it this far. But the real work is still to come." She was addressing Akira directly. "I will wait here for your return."

 

* * *

 

 

Akira reluctantly followed the thieves back to the safe room and then out of the Metaverse. The light through the kitchen windows told him that hours had passed while they were gone--it was nearing sunset. The Phantom Thieves left the Sakura home quickly with a promise to contact him before the next day about the plans for the calling card and the next foray into the palace. They left one or two at a time, wisely attempting to not attract attention for once.

 

Eventually he found himself alone outside Futaba's room, knocking gently.

 

"Futaba? It's just me. The others went home for the day. How are you feeling?"

 

The door clicked open after a handful of seconds and Futaba glanced around up and down the hall to verify Akira's story.

 

"Did they do it? I don't feel any different." She seemed so painfully hopeful. Akira swallowed around a lump in his throat.

 

"Not yet. They'll be back tomorrow. I wanted to talk--if you're feeling up to it." He gave her what he hoped was disarming smile.

 

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, not fooled.

 

"Okay?"

 

"You wanna talk here or do you wanna go back to the living room? We can eat those awful melon crackers you like."

 

"Yeah. Give me a sec, okay?"

 

"Yeah, no problem. I'm gonna get a drink and sit down."

 

It was surreal, sitting at the table alone in the empty room after everything that had happened in the last few hours. Anxiety buzzed under his skin, telling him that he needed to get up and _do something_ , even though there was nothing more to be done that day. He turned on the TV for background noise, or possibly to chase away the lingering unsettled feeling in his chest. Then he flopped down on his favorite couch.

 

He lay in silence for an entire commercial break before he heard Futaba exit her room and pad over to join him.

 

"Feeling okay?" She asked as she sat down on a chair that was closer than her usual seat.

 

"Yeah, it just takes a lot out of you. Like a dungeon crawl."

 

"Really? What was it like? Or wait--maybe I don't wanna know."

 

Akira turned his head and regarded his pseudo-sibling. She didn't look any worse for wear, really. The dark shadows under eyes could no longer be hidden by her glasses but they were no longer red and puffy. So she had at least stopped crying.

 

"We're in your heart, or mind, or your cognitive world or whatever. A lot of it is how you perceive things."

 

To his confusion, Futaba nodded, not at all surprised.

 

"Did you somehow already know this?" He asked slowly while wondering why he hadn't considered the possibility. Futaba was a master in acquiring information she shouldn't have. She was working through third year high school and first year college material in her free time. Of course she would be curious and bored enough to look into how the Phantom Thieves stole hearts.

 

Akira felt a wave of shame. He could have been open with her about his Phantom Thief theories this entire time. If he had, maybe she wouldn't have thought she needed to hide her request behind blackmail. He could have contacted the thieves for her and a lot of trouble could have been avoided. But...it went both ways. Neither of them had confided in the other and it led to a sticky situation that could have easily have crumbled into something disastrous.

 

"My mom…" Futaba mumbled, then stopped. Akira focused on Futaba, who had pulled her legs to her chest for comfort. "She worked on this research for cognitive pscience. She was working on a major breakthrough right before she--"

 

Futaba shut her eyes and buried her head in her knees.

 

A brilliant scientist about to have a major breakthrough on a field of study he'd never heard of suddenly dies and someone comes along to convince her daughter it was a suicide? One caused by the stress of being a single parent, no less.

 

It was conjecture, and he'd have to get a number of questions answered, but it was looking more like a murder plot every minute. Again, Akira wished he could talk to Akechi without giving away the thieves. This sort of thing would be right up his alley.

 

Even better, Akechi was most likely familiar with the Metaverse. Was it because of an app that suddenly appeared on his phone? Or perhaps he had an idea of where the app came from? He didn't seem the type to let a mystery like that go unsolved.

 

And for that matter, if he was familiar with the Metaverse and investigating the Phantom Thieves...how could he have not put it all together yet? They were so obvious and frankly a bit sloppy. He and Akira would need to have quite the conversation very soon. Yet another task piling up on Akira's plate. And he'd need to tell the whole story to Haru as well. He wouldn't dream of leaving her out. And were they ever going to consider revealing all this to Sojiro? He'd definitely notice. He would discuss it with Futaba another time. For now, Futaba was still miserably curled up in a chair.

 

"What do you think about stealing your own heart?"

 

"Wait, really?" Futaba picked her head up to stare wide-eyed at him. "How?"

 

* * *

 

 

Sojiro came home to two plotting teenagers at his kitchen table. He didn't know what they were up to, but they were both animated and smiling.

 

In recent weeks Futaba seemed to have taken two steps forward and one step back. Takemi said this was a normal regression after a breakthrough. It was the first time in a long while he'd heard a doctor call his daughter's behavior "normal" in a very long time. He'd still keep a close eye on her but it seemed like she'd be able to work through it, especially since she was feeling well enough to join them for dinner for the first time in days.

 

Akira had been a great influence on Futaba. It gave him hope for the future, even on Futaba's bad days. And the kid had lost most of his 'kicked puppy' demeanor over time, really coming out of his shell these days. He had a girlfriend--a sweet, intelligent, but soft-spoken girl. The Akechi kid who'd become a Leblanc regular had also gotten into the kid's good graces somehow. He definitely didn't warm up to just anyone. He was at odds with those kids from his school for a reason that Sojiro could not figure out. He believed the kid when he said the bullies hassling him at school weren't this group. They meant well but there was some beef between them and the kid that had to be worked out.

 

Akira had been nervous the last few days, lurking around the cafe and the house until he was chased away by Sojiro. When he'd requested to leave his shift early Sojiro had leapt at the chance to get the kid out of his hair. At his age, there was only so much teenage drama Sojiro could handle at once.

 

"What are you two plotting over there?" He asked with a smirk. Akira startled a little but Futaba just rolled her eyes.

 

"We've decided to run off and join the Phantom Thieves!" Futaba announced dramatically, slapping a hand on the table for emphasis. Akira muffled his laughter behind his hand.

 

"Very funny." he replied dryly, shaking his head. Let them have their secrets. He was probably too old and lame for whatever it was anyway. "What do you kids want for dinner?"

 

* * *

 

 

Akira let himself into the empty cafe after a trip to the bathhouse, locking the door behind him. He filled his usual water glass and checked the cafe's lights, water, and gas on autopilot before heading upstairs. His mind was occupied by all of the 'what if's of all the things that could go pear shaped starting the next day. He cracked the window to get some air into the attic and settled into bed, scrolling through his phone aimlessly.

 

He should have rented a DVD or something. The usual quiet of Leblanc felt oppressive instead of peaceful. The sounds of Yongen-Jaya at night were few and distant so the open window was little help against the discomforting quiet. He let the hand holding his phone up flop down on the bed as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

 

In and out.

 

"Hey!" Morgana called from very close by.

 

Akira looked over to see the cat-shaped being lightly step onto his room from the window sill.

 

"Hey." he greeted, reaching out to gently pet Morgana's head.

 

"Good work today! You're well on your way to becoming a master thief!"

 

Akira raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we already settle this?"

 

"Call it wishful thinking." Morgana replied, casually beginning to clean his face.

 

"I want Futaba to come with us tomorrow after we deliver the calling card. And--there's some other stuff you should know."

 

"Other stuff?" His tail twitched in interest despite his obvious efforts to play it cool.

 

"Yeah. But first--can you help me convince everyone to let Futaba change her own heart? Or is there some reason why she can't enter her own palace?" Akira switched the conversation back, hoping Morgana would be curious enough to humor him.

 

"Hmm..." Morgana hummed, thinking about it. "I can't think of any obvious danger except for the usual."

 

"The usual?"

 

"If Futaba's shadow is hurt or killed, she will have a mental shutdown in the real world. She might even die."

 

Akira sat up abruptly. "This is information you should have told me before we went in there!" he realized he'd raised is voice and immediately dialed it back "Sorry." He continued at a normal volume. "This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to know before we went running around in Futaba's cognitive whatever. Is there anything else like that I should know?" He tacked on, monitoring Morgana for any of his usual tells.

 

"No! And we weren't trying to hide it or anything. I just forgot."

 

Akira sighed and let it go. He glanced down at his phone, opening the Meta-Nav app on a whim.

 

"You guys really don't know where the app comes from?" He tried again, hoping that Morgana would remember something.

 

"Nope. And I don't need it to get into the Meta-Verse, just you guys. It seems to appear on people's phones without warning. It hasn't done anything except help us find palaces and get us to Mementos."

 

"Mementos?" 

 

"You know it as the scary version of the subway system."

 

"Ah."

 

"Futaba Sakura." He told the phone. _Candidate found._

 

"Sojiro Sakura." _No candidates found._

 

"Sae Nijima" _Candidate found._

 

"Goro Akechi" _No candidates found._

 

He thought to perhaps say his father's name, or his step-mother's, then thought that he probably didn't want to know.

 

"Akechi? Why him?" Morgana flicked his tail and tilted his head as he tried to get a better look at the screen. Akira moved it so they could both look.

 

"Curious, I guess. I wouldn't be surprised if he already knew the identities of most of you guys just from observation. And I think he heard you talk the other day."

 

"What!" Morgana yelped, the hair along spine standing up.

 

"Shh! People are going to hear you yowling. Let me close the window."

 

Akira settled back into the bed as Morgana began to pace back and forth.

 

"How do you know?"

 

"When you guys dragged me out of Leblanc last week you said bye to Sojiro. Akechi looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. He's been too busy to meet up ever since so I haven't figured out what he knows."

 

They sat in silence for a while, both lost in thought.

 

"I have these dreams..." Akira paused, then pushed on before he thought better of it. "There's a blue prison, these girls who are wardens, and this creepy old guy with a long nose. He keeps talking about a game I'm stuck in. Does that sound familiar?"

 

"It sounds like you need to stop eating junk food, honestly." Morgana replied, pointedly looking over at Akira's full waste basket that had empty instant ramen cups piled on top.

 

"So...no?"

 

"Nope."

 

Akira rubbed his face with a long sigh, then took off his glasses. It had been worth a try, at least. "You staying the night? I think I've had about enough of today."

 

"Yep. We should get some rest for tomorrow." Morgana advised as Akira settled in to do just that. Morgana even curled up next to him, cuddled in to Akira's side.

 

"I'm worried. Something is really strange about all this." Akira confided, running his hand down Morgana's head and back. "The app has to come from somewhere, right?"

 

"Yep. But we need more information first. After we help Futaba we can start working on figuring out the app."

 

"Sounds good." Akira replied through a yawn. He fell asleep not long after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! No cliffhanger this time! :D
> 
> This chapter was supposed to contain all of Futaba's palace but it got too long. The next chapter is half done already so it shouldn't be as long of a wait this time. 
> 
> Your comments keep me writing! Thank you everyone for being so sweet!


	8. Futaba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira hits his Limit Break and Futaba faces herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: violence and gore.

  
"Akira! You awake?"

He woke grumpy and exhausted when Sojiro called him from the stairwell.

"You okay?" The man asks, brow furrowed. Akira nodded and then forced himself up into a sitting position to demonstrate. Morgana whined a little and stretches beside him. "What's the cat doing here?"

"Came in through the window last night." Akira yawned and pulled himself to his feet. "I texted Ann to let her know where he was."

"'Ann', huh?" Sojiro's lips quirked and Akira realized his mistake.

"Uh."

Sojiro went back downstairs with a chuckle. "You're cutting it close! Get dressed or you'll be late for school."

He made it to the subway station (with a jostled Morgana complaining from his bag) just in time to catch a glimpse of Akechi as he walked onto his train and disappear. If Akira hadn't slept in they probably would have had time to talk for a few minutes. Long enough for Akira to convince him to visit Leblanc at the very least.

He let out a huff and walked over to his platform. Next time for sure.

* * *

He answered Ann's morning greeting to her obvious delight. There was barely enough time for Ann to inform him that he was added to a group message with the Phantom Thieves. They'd be using it to plan their afternoon. It flooded his phone with incoming message notifications throughout the morning. Weren't they all supposed to be in class?

Morgana somehow snuck from his bag to Ann's desk without attracting attention once again. It was unbelievable. Then again, their homeroom teacher looked like she never slept so maybe it wasn't as impressive a feat as Akira was making it out to be. 

He ignored his phone until class let out for lunch. Ann turned to him immediately and pinned him down with a hopeful gaze. He knew from experience--and Ryuji's wisdom--that it would be save time to give in now  to whatever she was about to demand rather than attempt to hold out. He stifled a half-amused, half-frustrated sigh and remained seated.

"Have you been reading the group chat?" She asked after the last of the people in the next row over were out of eavesdropping range. Akira pulled out his phone.

[26 new messages]

Akechi had finally replied, saying he would be at Leblanc for his usual Thursday visit. Akira thanked his lucky stars it wouldn't be that afternoon.

The rest of the messages were from the Phantom Thieves.

>   
> Nijima: We will meet after school at the rail station in Yongen-Jaya, then head to the Sakura home. Is the calling card ready?  
> Ryuji: Of course! Yusuke did most of the design this time and it's BADASS  
> Yusuke: I had much more freedom to create this time. I hope the result is satisfactory.  
> Ann: Mona's back, he hitched a ride with Akira-kun.  
> Ann: As long as it makes Futaba-chan believe her treasure will be stolen it'll be perfect.  
> Ann: but Im sure it looks good too!  
> Ryuji: yo Ann, is Akira in class? It looks like he hasn't even read any of this.  
> Ann: Yeah, he brought Morgana, remember? He's just not checking his phone.  
> Nijima: He sets a good example. We should all endeavor to pay attention in class to not attract undue attention.  
> Yusuke: Indeed.  
> Ryuji: ugh fine  
> Ann: :(

 

>   
> Akira: ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/  
> Ryuji: that's it????  
> Yusuke: It seems Akira is a man of few words.

  
Ann huffed at him with a hint of a smile and he smirked back. There wasn't much for him to contribute until later. He expected to face some resistance to the idea of bringing Futaba with them. It wasn't what he'd call classroom-friendly conversation so for now he was out of ideas of what to talk about with the Phantom Thief in front of him.

"So...how's Futaba?" Ann bailed them out of awkward silence.

"Better than she was this time yesterday. She felt good enough to eat dinner with us after everyone left. It's a good sign." He greeted Ryuji a nod as he walked over with bread and bottled tea for his and Ann's lunches.

"Does she usually not join you for dinner?" Ann asked, then backpedaled with a wave of her hand. "That is, I mean. You don't have to share if you don't want to, I was just curious."

Akira watched her fluster about and did his best to let go of any lingering distrust towards the thieves. Between the teamwork and camaraderie he'd witnessed yesterday he could see what Sojiro had probably figured out within seconds. They truly meant no harm and only wanted to help. To fault them for that was uncomfortably reminiscent of his mistreatment of late.

"She's--Some days are better than others. I know she's been a shut-in for a couple of years now and hasn't left the house. But once we became friends she kept asking me to eat dinner with them a couple times a week."

"What did you do before? Just keep yourself locked in your room?" Ryuji asked, lost. Akira played back his words in his head.

"I live above the cafe. Morgana didn't tell you?"

Both of his classmates mutely shook their heads.

"It didn't seem important at the time!" Morgana defended from inside Ann's desk. Akira ducked his head a little to find two luminous blue cat eyes glaring back.

They spent the remainder of the period on lighter topics, more relaxed than the other times Ann had forced him into joining them for lunch.

It didn't occur to him that something--or someone--was missing until halfway through his first afternoon class. Akira's attention was wandering and Mr. Ushimaru definitely noticed. Usually Arsene warned him of the incoming chalk being pelted at his head. Today it smacked Akira square in the center of his forehead. He blinked dumbly, stunned, then mumbled some sort of apology as the class laughed and class resumed from the interruption.

He reached out to the persona but there was no answer. He was probably still there, right? It was like he was asleep--not something Akira knew him to do--or he could just be ignoring Akira.

He didn't think on it much longer because the teacher kept close watch on Akira for the rest of class. 

* * *

> Akira: Sorry, I forgot to mention I need to leave right after class.  
> Akira: I can't help you water today but I'll make it up to you soon!
> 
> Haru: Is everything all right?
> 
> Akira: Yep! I will tell you about it later, I promise. :)
> 
> Haru: :)

  


* * *

Akira led the Phantom Thieves to the Sakura home after school, hoping it wasn't one of those afternoons where Sojiro smoked outside the cafe and could plausibly be able to see Akira lead a crowd of teenagers towards his house and his agoraphobic daughter.

Futaba was still in her room when they arrived so he volunteered to deliver the calling card. Ryuji handed the card over and Akira looked it over in silence. It was an over-the-top stylized note, complete with cut-and-paste letters and dramatic phrasing. Far too extravagant for the simple 'The Phantom Thieves are coming to steal your heart' that Akira suspected would be adequate.

Before leaving to talk to Futaba he paused, squared his shoulders, and addressed the group of teens plus cat. "I want her to come with us."

His request must have been expected, because no one batted an eye. Nijima turned to Morgana in question but he only shrugged back.

"I don't think it will cause a problem. We can try it and then leave if it turns out to be dangerous. And we've been able to keep Akira safe so far."

Nijima nodded, which Akira took as acquiescence.

"Thank you." Akira told them, and then walked towards Futaba's room. The others followed by a respectful distance.

"One thing, though." Morgana interrupted just before Akira could knock. "Will she be able tolerate our presence for that long?"

Akira shrugged, then went ahead and rapped on the door. "I guess we're about to find out."

"Akira?" Futaba's muffled voice questioned.

"Yeah, and the others are here too. Remember what we talked about yesterday?"

"Yeah..." she replied. There was a good thirty seconds of stillness that Akira waited out patiently before the door creaked open.

He slowly pushed his hand against the door and opened it wide. Futaba was huddled next to the door frame just inside the room, presumably staring at him but he couldn't quite tell between the dark room the the reflection off her glasses. He held the calling card out to her.

"Delivery!" He grinned. Futaba snatched it out of his hands and read it.

"That's it?" She asked.

"That's it." Nijima confirmed, making Futaba yelp with a tiny "eep" and use Akira as a shield between herself and the thieves.

"Then--Then do it already!" she demanded loudly. "What do I do?" she added, just loud enough to be heard."

"You come with us to your own cognitive world and have a talk with your shadow." Akira told her, and Futaba gave him a scowl as if she wasn't sure if he was joking or not. He grinned back.

"These are the Phantom Thieves." He introduced, gesturing to the teenagers milling about in the hall. "Can they come in?"

"Do they have to?" Futaba asked with a hint of a whine. Akira looked to Nijima, who nodded in confirmation.

"Unfortunately, yes."  
  
"Okay." She practically whispers. Akira gestured for the others to enter.

"How is this gonna work if she has to hide behind Akira the whole time?" Ryuji asked, clearly uncomfortable. Ann shushed him.

"Ready?" Nijima asked, and they all nodded. Akira held out his hand for Futaba to grab and the world dissolved around them.

* * *

  
Futaba lost a lot of her shyness when they landed in the Metaverse.

"Whaaaat?" She marveled softly as she craned her head back and used her hands to shield her eyes from the brutal sunlight. "My cognitive distortion is a pyramid?"

"You did say you were going to die in your house. So your oh-so-humble brain extrapolated." Akira grinned playfully, earning a small shove against his arm.

"Very funny, mister jokester. What do we do now that we're here?" Futaba even looked over at Queen even though the question seemed to be directed at Akira.

"We ascend to the top of the pyramid and hope your shadow finds us again." Queen answered with a warm smile.

They set off for the the entrance.

"I wanted to see the other Akira again..." Panther whined after catching up with them. She had been lagging behind as she searched the area for the cognition. "He was fun."

"The _other_ Akira?" Futaba asked him, and Akira had to look away. He just so happened to catch Panther's eye and watched her hide a smirk.

"Long story." he deflected as they crossed the threshold into the palace.

"You don't get to just brush something like that off! There's another Akira running around?" Futaba's voice was much louder this time, assisted by the echo off main chamber's walls.

"Yeah! I think you'd like him." Panther tacked on, ignoring the side-eye Futaba sent her way. Akira was not the only one shaking his head. Thankfully, Mona and Queen were on his side.

"Please, no." Akira appealed, in mock horror. He was rewarded with an eye roll and Futaba losing interest.

"Fine. But you're gonna tell be about it later." She instructed, starting to climb the stairway.

"Maaaybe." He replied, drawing out the word. "If I feel like it."

"It's a whole different guy." Ryuji told the others in shock. Akira looked up to see Mona, Fox, and Panther nod in agreement. All of them considered the banter between him and Futaba thoughtfully as if they were specimens in a zoo.

"Are we doing this or not? I don't think I can defeat shadows by myself." He turned to follow Futaba up the steps, doing his best to block out the murmurs behind him.

The climb was uneventful save for the few times they stopped to take breaks. Futaba  could only climb so far at a time before she needed to rest and was slowing them down until Fox offered to carry her. She frantically shook her head in reply and moved to put Akira between her and the other boy. It wasn't a bad idea so Akira offered to carry her instead. She was tiny so it wasn't much of a burden and it wasn't like they were being attacked by shadows in the main corridor.

Akira kept Futaba behind him as the rest of the group tackled the shadows between the elevator and the treasure room. She watched the fighting with sharp interest--an expression she usually saved for her coding or whatever else she got up to on her laptop. Akira chose not to inform her that he had a weapon in case she wanted to try it out.

"They're a bit sloppy." She commented, pointing out a narrow miss Fox had dodging around a streak of flame sent by a half-snake-half-human shadow.

"They're doing their best." Akira lightly replied, wondering what she was thinking.

"Yeah, but they need better planning. Or more help. Queen is trying to do two jobs at once. Do you have one of those persona-thingies?"

He shrugged. "Sort of. I can't summon him at will like the others."

Now all of Futaba's intense focus centered on him. "But you know you have one? How?"

"He helped me once. I stumbled in to part of the Metaverse a couple months ago. He distracted a nasty shadow monster and bought me time to run away. I didn't summon him. He was hanging around in the back of my head until yesterday."

"Well have you tried--"

They were interrupted by Ryuji calling them to follow to the next staircase. Akira shrugged instead of answering, gesturing for Futaba to walk ahead of him up the stairs. They'd made it to the treasure room.

The Phantom Thieves stepped lightly about the room, leaving Akira and Futaba to approach the glowing sarcophagus in the center of the room.

Futaba took the last few steps on her own, transfixed. Akira held his breath as she slowly reached out her hand. 

A sudden ear splitting scream resonated though the room, muffled by the tomb's brick walls. Everyone tensed, all but Futaba reaching for their weapons. A second shriek--much louder, much closer--had Akira surging forward instinctively to grab for Futaba's hand. Before he could drag her back to the stairs the ceiling began to cave in. Giant sandstone bricks crumbled and fell around them as something enormous pounded on the roof of the tomb.

"FU---TAA---BAAAAA" it screeched, its deafening voice akin to nails scraping against a chalkboard. Akira caught a glimpse of one giant eye staring down at them before the next crash of stone fell around them. He swooped around to shield Futaba as they ran together towards the stairs. 

 

The room imploded in a confusion of stone, wind, screaming, rage, and fear. Akira halted them and covered Futaba's head with his arms and shoulders, hunkering down as the monster demolished the summit of the pyramid with violent swipes. Queen screamed, somewhere to the right, and Skull cursed up a storm.

"Mona--help me get this offa her!"

Akira lifted his head to find Queen partially buried in rubble but still alive judging from the tight grimace on her face. He swung around to locate their attacker and found an enormous human-headed lion--a Sphinx.

"Zorro!" Mona cried as he sprinted over. With additional help from Skull and Panther, Queen was pulled away from the crush of rubble.

"It is coming back!" Fox exclaimed, getting in position to draw his katana. "Goemon!"

"What the hell is that thing?!" Skull yelled.

"It's a cognition! And powerful one, too! I've never seen anything like it!" Mona called back as they got into battle position.

"Mom..." Akira looked down to see a teary-eyed Futaba staring up in horror at the sphinx cognition flying in circles around them, just out of range of their weapons. It screeched again and came in to attack. It was just barely fended off by the persona-users throwing some of their strongest attacks. Zorro was especially helpful getting the Sphinx off balance long enough for the others to land effective hits.

But even though they clearly made impact, there was next to no damage dealt to the cognition. It screeched in rage and began to spew vitriol as it reeled back and prepared immediately for the next strike. Akira got Futaba over to where Queen was slumped against a pile of stone, clutching her right shoulder.

"YOU--you destroyed my LIFE." The cognition was massive enough that it could potentially take them all out in a single swipe. It would have succeeded had the Phantom Thieves not deflected the blow. But it seemed the most they could do was defend.

"Mom--no." Futaba's voice trembled, which made the bottom of Akira's stomach drop out. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to see his own mother like this.

"Futaba." He told her as firmly could, given the circumstances, "That's _not_ her. That's what you fear. She loved you. You were her whole world."

Even though it seemed that she heard, the words had little to no impact. Futaba continued to stare at and worse--listen to--the cognition as it raged. Eventually she clutched at her head and screwed her eyes shut.

"It's not her! It's not /real/, Futaba!" Queen chimed in with a thoughtful gleam in her eye. The last time he'd observed that expression on her face was maneuvering the team through some advanced combat tactic. She wasn't just trying to comfort the other girl...What was she up to? Queen noticed his gaze and nodded meaningfully towards Futaba.

Akira's suspicion was interrupted as the sphinx screamed in aggravation before and swooped straight up into the air with a forceful beat of its massive wings, almost toppling several of them.

"What the--How far up did it go?"

"I can't--I can't sense it! Don't tell me--is it going to dive attack us?"

It was eerily quiet as they all stared into the sky, waiting for the inevitable attack.

"Damn that thing, when's it going to strike?" Mona growled. "This isn't good!"

"You can't sense it?" Panther asked somewhat incredulously, voice tinged with the anxiety they surely all felt.

"There's some things even I can't do!" Mona yelled back, clearly frustrated.

"Mom..." Futaba whimpered in Akira's hold. "The suicide note--the car--"

"Futaba?" He asked, giving her a little shake. She didn't answer, gone somewhere in her head.

The cognition used the glare of the sun to camouflage its approach. When it finally appeared they scarcely had time to dive out of the landing zone as it slammed into the pyramid. The structure rumbled and shook under their feet--shouldn't that be impossible? The cognition was big, sure, but was it large enough to topple something this massive?

The sphinx swiped a foreleg over the rooftop. Queen yelled for them to duck but a few of them didn't react quickly enough. Akira forced Futaba to the ground just in the nick of time, hoping he was just imagining the feel of the edge of the monster's paw brush over his hair. Panther sent a focused jet of fire at it, which forced the cognition away and back into the sky. Futaba and Akira stayed on their knees as they were buffeted by the wind generated from its take-off. It screamed and swooped round the pyramid once again, looking for another opportunity to attack.

"Useless little pest! I should have killed you before you were even born!" Akira felt white-hot rage for Futaba drop from his throat to his belly, and then surge through his limbs. The only thing keeping him from screaming back at the cognition was his need to keep Futaba close and out of relative danger.

Mona scurried around them all group casting healing spells. Queen used the opportunity to do what she could to provide first aid to herself. Futaba was murmuring something to herself--a stream of words and head shaking that Akira couldn't hear over the sounds of the battle.

"No--NO!" Futaba shouted, and surged to her feet. Akira scrambled after her as she took a couple steps back, "I won't let you--I'm going to think for myself!" She screamed at the cognition.

The air just over Futaba shimmered and a second later a spectral UFO materialized above Futaba, becoming corporeal as it sent something--tenrils--down to pick her up.

"What--" Akira didn't realize he'd started forward until he was halted by Fox's arm.

"Wait. It is a perturbing image at first sight but I believe Futaba has awakened a persona." Fox informed him just ask Akira was preparing to knock him over. He did as asked and was rewarded seconds later with the sound of Futaba's voice.

"I'm okay!" she called, and Akira sagged in relief, taking a deep breath and trying to center himself again. If only he could follow suit they'd have _two_ extra personas to fight. Arsene still wasn't answering to any of his mental poking and prodding. What had changed?

"Oh wow! I can see everything!" Futaba's told them with a note of wonder. "And that's gotta go!" she continued, and they all knew she was referring to the raging sphinx cognition. "Power up!"

At their feet, swirling lights appeared and swept upwards. Akira felt lighter and more energetic--and from the looks of things, so did everyone else. With renewed vigor, the team braced themselves for the next attack. Makoto was able to fight again, though she was still moving slower than usual. The thieves were able to land a scarce few hits, but they still seemed to make very little impact on the cognition's health. 

"We need more firepower!" Futaba's voice echoed before her UFO persona zipped behind Akira. He turned in time to see a giant crossbow materialize. Well, it /was/ Futaba's cognitive world. Why not?

Akira and Queen reached the ballista nearly simultaneously. Although her shoulder was looking better after a round of healing spells and first aid, Akira had to do most of the work moving and positioning the point of the spear to where it could be fired the next time the enemy came around. 

"This is not an ideal position." Queen observed, tense. "I do not know if we will be able to take more than one shot, so we must do what we can to make it count."

The distance was their biggest handicap. The closer the cognition, the better chance they would have of hitting as well as doing substantial damage.

"It's risky to lure her closer on purpose." He couldn't help but point out, turning to face the unsure phantom thief beside him.

"But it might be the best plan we have." She said after swallowing down her fear.

Akira nodded in grim agreement. It didn't seem smart but he couldn't think of anything better and there was no more time to try. The others were concentrating on using their personas' magic skills with every attack which he knew from the previous day was extremely tiring if they didn't get time to rest and recover. They couldn't last forever even with Futaba's assistance. It wasn't an ideal shot. To get a better opportunity they would have to wait until she was almost on top of them to fire. And at the speed she moved, particularly from the dive attack, it was extraordinarily dangerous.

The choice was taken from them as the cognition shrieked and took off into the air, again disappearing from view in seconds thanks to the blazing sunlight.

"I've got eyes on her! She's still climbing!" Futaba called, and Queen and Akira set to work moving the giant weapon's frame to point upwards. They quickly got it locked into position and stood at the ready.

"Get ready! She's coming down in twelve seconds!"

They saw her before they heard her, and just before she would have landed on the thieves the oversized harpoon struck her in the side with enough force to send her crashing down on the edge of the pyramid. She clawed her way back up, dazed for only a scant few seconds before unleashing pure fury on them.

She swiped wildly as she snarled, clawed, bit, and destroyed anything she could reach. Akira and Queen were nearly taken out by a vicious punch from one of her front paws. They ran out of range in time but the ballista was not so lucky. It was reduced to a pile of broken bits of wood as she hammered on it and screeched.

"YOU--GODDAMNED---BRATS!" And there was something _else_ in the sound, something dark and painful. Akira didn't think too hard about it because just after the scream Futaba's persona UFO landed before dissolving to reveal a shaken Futaba in a new Metaverse costume. She pulled off a large pair of goggles and threw them off to the side.

"We--We can't do it." Futaba told them as he and Queen ran to her aid. "It's--she's too much. They can't fight her forever and she didn't even slow down after a direct hit with the ballista." It was then that he noticed a glassy look to her eyes and felt an odd aura.

"Did the cognition do something?" Akira urgently appealed to Queen, whose eyes widened in realization. Then they were all  sent flying by what felt like a car slamming into them.

When he could think again, Akira frantically searched for the others. Futaba was much further away now, and Akira himself was dangerously close to the edge of the pyramid.Only a couple meters more would have sent him to his probable death.  All of the thieves he could see had been knocked down and seemed dazed--had they _all_ been caught off guard?

The cognition crowed in victory and tore straight up into the sky again. Futaba was in no state to predict her movements and Mona--where was Mona? Panther was getting Queen back to her feet when the desperate order came--

"RUN! GET DOWNSTAIRS IF YOU CAN!"

Fox slung Futaba up over his shoulder like she weighed nothing before taking off for the stairs. Mona finally appeared--carried by a sprinting Skull.

Akira knew he wouldn't make it in time. From the looku of it, Fox and Futaba wouldn't either.  Death was rocketing towards them. Shrieking, violent, and certain.

In the extraordinarily unlikely event that any of them made it out safely Futaba would surely suffer a mental shutdown or something since it was her own heart determined to kill her.

_Why_ had he insisted on bringing her? Why did he allow the thieves to do this in the first place?

If only he'd minded his own business. If only he'd left Futaba…

_**Alone? To suffer, then.** _

_NO!_

His very being rebelled against the thought. He would not--could not--have ever done otherwise.

Akira felt his fear, adrenaline, and outrage congeal into something that yanked Arsene forward. An excruciating pain cracked through his head, centered on the bridge of his nose.

And then Arsene spoke again, a crystal clear thunderclap that made Akira's head continue pulse in agony. His world narrowed to the overwhelming pain and the echo of the spirit of rebellion inside his heart.

_**And now you can clearly see the folly in your apathy. The stakes are high and you can flee no longer.** _ Arsene was triumphant, and there was a dark, deadly edge to his words. _**What is your decision? Fight or flee?**_

_Fight_.

_**Very well, let us formally enter our contract. Thou who art willing to perform sacrilege in the name of thy own justice. Thou, the resolute seeking to seize thine own meaning and break free from the chains binding you to Hell itself. Vow to me! Call upon my name, take back thy future, and release the fury within. I am Thou, Thou art I. I am the pillager of twilight, Arsene!** _

Another swell, of something coursed through him. It felt like the heat of the anger and frustration that he usually swallowed down, but this time it would not be contained. Instead it flooded out of him like a tsunami and cascaded around his feet. He was clutching at his face, heedless of the pain of the nails digging in to his temples, and instinctively knew he had to tear off whatever it was that had suddenly attached to his face.

He clawed it off, ripping into something even deeper than skin as he pulled, his skin straining before giving way an tearing something out of himself. A whoosh of air let him know something new was close by--near enough to touch. He opened his eyes through the blood dripping down his face and found he was surrounded by some familiar pitch black feathers. Even better, the persona was an opaque, physical being. The staticy manifestation of Arsene that saved him in Mementos was but a pale imitation of the real thing.

Blue fire twisting and writhing around his feet rose to curl and lick at his hands, as it surrounded the pair. As the fire touched Akiea he was given blessed relief instead of burns. As one, Arsene and Akira lifted their heads to gaze skyward. The monstrosity wearing Wakeba Ishiki's face was hurtling towards them, certain to destroy them all.

Akira's hands clenched involuntarily. "Arsene!" he shouted, and he felt more than saw Arsene's answering smirk. Their bond surged with power as he pointed at the enraged enemy in the sky. "STRIKE!"

A hum that started at his feet, then through his bones, built into a roar to rival the cognition above them. It was heady. Intoxicating. He felt--no, he _knew_ \--in that moment that he could strike down all who would ever dare oppose him. He felt limitless. It pulsed through Akira for one heartbeat, then two. Then, just when it was almost too late, they unleashed it. It met her head-on with a blinding flash.

The attack enough force to not only stop the sphinx's descent but to send her back up into a short parabolic arc before she came crashing down on the edge of the tomb, already dead. Akira got an eye full of the bloody, gaping wound on her middle--a third of her torso had been instantly vaporized. The body slid slowly down the sloped side of the pyramid, picking up speed as it bounced down to the ground far below.

All the power that had built up from his will to defend, rage at their enemy, and self-preservation was abruptly gone, leaving him an empty husk. He felt as if he had just been relieved of a great weight. Arsene gave him a solemn nod and faded away.

Akira shakily walked over to the edge that the cognition disappeared over to observe his handiwork. The spear was still sticking out of her side, though the pole was broken. One of her wings was a twisted mass of blood, bone, and feather. Her glasses had been flung off to parts unknown. Half of her hair was scorched away and she was face-down in the sand.

 

"YEAH-HEAH!!" he heard a distant shout, which turned out to be his cognitive self celebrating, bouncing around like a fool. Akira sent a little wave back, wondering if the cognition knew who had delivered the final blow.

"Futaba!" Queen called urgently, and Akira turned so fast he ended up stumbling. He might have fallen if it wasn't for Futaba colliding with his chest--he needed to talk to her about her habit of headbutting his sternum.

"You did it you did it!" She said into his shirt. "You big dumb _idiot_ you could have died but you did it."

Akira couldn't help himself, he laughed. It came out as a half-suppressed squeaky giggle but it was still a laugh. He felt almost giddy and his knees went weak. He and Futaba lowered themselves to the floor.

He suddenly noticed that he was wearing crimson gloves. A quick check on the rest of his attire revealed that he, too, now possessed a Metaverse costume. It seemed as if his inner rebel was fond of black and red. Red gloves, black heeled shoes, dark pants with subtle pinstripes, and a silky dark gray shirt that seemed to be a solid color but slowly revealed a barely visible pattern of harlequin diamonds outlined in red and silver thread. A black coat with a wide collar completed the ensemble. At least it wasn't all leather, he thought as he bit back a second round of hysterical giggles. 

"Akira?" he heard Ryuji ask and he looked over to find the thieves all conscious and mostly able-bodied despite the battle.

Futaba slumped in his arms and he looked down in surprise. She was either passed out or asleep now, exhausted from what they'd all just been through.

"I don't think I can stand." He heard his own voice say from far away.

"Yeah, no shit. Here, Fox, you get Futaba. I'll get this big show-off." There was rustling and Akira was startled into opening his eyes and swaying dangerously. He was on his feet and his eyes had been closed, which was a total surprise. Ann appeared out of nowhere and arranged his other arm around her shoulders so they were both supporting him.

One blink later they were in the Mona express bus and taking a bumpy ride down the side of an Egyptian pyramid. Futaba was sound asleep leaning against Yusuke's side. She didn't look any worse for wear. Good.

"Just put me on the couch." He said when he realized Ryuji had asked him a question. "An' put Futaba in her room. Call Sojiro or the doctor or someone. Make up a really really good story."

"Alright, dude." Ryuji agreed easily, amused for some reason. Akira narrowed his eyes in confusion but it made his head hurt so he stopped.

The next thing he knew his shoulder was being shaken and a concerned Sojiro was looking him over.

"Hn?"

"You got work tonight?"

"oh--crap, yeah."

"No--lie back down--I'll call and let her know you're not feeling well. No one wants you to push yourself"

"'kay." Akira covered his eyes with an arm to block out the kitchen light.

"They'll be fine. What did you say happened?"

He fell asleep to the sound of several murmuring voices. 


	9. Two Lies and a Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adults are worried, Futaba's taking a nap, and Haru figured it out on her own, thanks.

Akira opened his eyes to the inside of his blue prison cell. He sat up lazily and ran a shackled hand through his hair. Caroline and Justine flanked his cell door, facing away from him. The old man sat behind his desk, legs crossed and hands neatly folded as he silently observed Akira with a twist to his lips that seemed to be masquerading as a smile.  
  
He knew something was wrong with this situation--something beyond the obvious. Could feel it in the air every time he visited. Akira sorely wished he was clever enough to come up with the right questions to ask. He seemed to forget all of his plans the second he woke Velvet Room. He could only remember that he wanted more information and he did not trust Igor despite the man's professed willingness to help Akira.  
  
"What is it?" Akira asked, unable to completely mask his irritation. Caroline slammed a baton against the cell door in warning even though their master seemed unbothered by Akira's tone.  
  
"Welcome back, Trickster." The old man grinned. "It seems you are quite the late bloomer. Could it be that you are finally willing to put forth effort towards rehabilitation? I must warn you--ruin may now be inevitable no matter how much you strive otherwise."  
  
Akira weighed his options. He was unlikely to learn anything more if he continued to stubbornly refuse to entertain this. "Yeah, I'll give it a try."  
  
"Excellent." Igor purred. Akira narrowed his eyes, feeling as if he'd made a wrong move.  "You have already forged natural bonds with others, an important foundation for your recovery. Well done. Continue to nurture these bonds with those who would lend you your strength as you lend them your own, and perhaps you will have the chance to escape your fate."

"Personas are the strength of heart." Justine added gently with an unusually excited spark in her eye. "The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain."  
  
"Personas?" Akira repeated in confusion. "I only have Arsene." He felt the gentle touch of the persona's amusement somewhere in the back of his mind.  
  
"Don't worry about that now!" Caroline snapped, though she was more smirking than scowling now. "One thing at a time! Just rack that noggin of yours and come up with how to get others on your side. There are people out there with talents a weakling like you could never dream of! Figure that out and then we'll change those bonds into power."  
  
"If you are willing to work, I can be persuaded to lend you some small measure of assistance to even the odds." The old man's rictus grew minutely with Akira's answering nod. "We have a deal, then." He chuckled darkly. Akira felt a surge of--something--run through him before heard a voice--similar to Caroline and Justine--declare he had acquired a new vow to help him break the chains of his captivity.  
  
"With this bond, I shall also gift you a new ability. Use your thief's skill of the Third Eye to tap into your sixth sense and see that which is obscured in darkness, physical or otherwise. It could be what you need to gain the upper hand against your opponent. Continue to devote yourself to your rehabilitation and we shall meet again soon."  
  
Akira's mind screeched to a halt and he blinked in surprise at this new information. "My opponent?"  
  
Akira sensed he had been successfully baited when Igor revealed more information, tone indulgent. "Another persona user, one seeking ruin. It would be wise to be cautious and do what you must to thwart their plans."  
  
Apparently done with him now, the old man waved his hand in a lazy but clear dismissal. Akira huffed in irritation when he realized he wouldn't get any more answers that day. What about the gift or his supposed _opponent_? When had life become so complicated?  
  
"Conversation's over! Get lost, inmate!" Caroline demanded. Akira looked over to Igor (now more interested in the a stack of papers than Akira) and then squatted down to be closer to eye-level with the girls.  
  
"Hey." he spoke softly, almost at a whisper. "Are you guys okay?" He addressed Justine, hoping her calmer nature would work in his favor.  
  
"What are you blabbering about now, inmate?" Caroline demanded, but--tellingly--her voice was much lower than just moments before. Akira almost missed how her eye darted over to Igor nervously. He swallowed hard, trying to focus on the moment instead of thinking about how her expression reminded him of Futaba.  
  
"As well as can be expected, Trickster."  Justine replied neutrally, all business. "In the future, should you come to us with requests to change your bonds into power, we shall heed them."  
  
"Are you safe?" He near-whispers. As usual, he couldn't leave it alone--there was something just so _off_ about all this. Why hadn't _didn't_ Igor offer his services to someone who was actually interested, like any of the Phantom Thieves? Other than his supernatural ability to attract trouble, Akira was unremarkable.  
  
"Next time--Can we talk next time?"  
  
"Perhaps." Justine replied, bored tone belied by her intense stare.  
  
Akira nodded once and stood. "I'll see you soon." He attempted a reassuring smile but didn't get past a grimace. He had no idea when he would be pulled in to the Velvet Room next. Oh, well.  
  
He went back to his bunk and got comfortable, breathing deeply and slowly to hurry himself towards sleep.  


* * *

  
  
_This_ must _be what a hangover is like,_ Akira thought miserably. His head was _pounding_ and a couple tentative sips of water had been enough to make his stomach roll with nausea. The ends may have justified the means but he didn't have to enjoy the resulting misery. Dr. Takemi was less than understanding.  
  
"Imagine my surprise when Sakura-san called my personal number frantic with both his kids sick with what some of your new acquaintances were insisting was heat exhaustion."  
  
"Sorry for the trouble." He placated automatically, failing to block the sunlight from Sojiro's living room window from reaching his aching head.  
  
"And given your history," she continued as if Akira had not spoken, "I have trouble believing the official story."  
  
"Am I going to live?" He attempted to evade, but the doctor wasn't having it. She shot him an annoyed glare at the question and he shrugged back, at least attempting to look sheepish.  
  
She gave a long sigh and softened just a little. "For now. What were you doing?"  
  
She must have seen something change in his expression because she looked away--towards Sojiro, preparing tea in the kitchen, and lowered her voice so it wouldn't carry. "Patient-doctor confidentiality is still in effect you know."  
  
"Too much sun. And I forgot to eat."  
  
"Mmmhm. And Futaba suddenly wanted to leave the house?"  
  
"Yup. It was such a shock I forgot dinner."  
  
Dr. Takemi's deadpan expression probably meant that Akira wasn't going to get out of this conversation without giving up _something._  
  
"It was her idea." He murmured. "I just went along with it." This, at least, was completely truthful.  
  
"Now _that_ can I believe. You don't have to tell me whatever it is you're up to but don't make trouble for your guardian. And don't let Futaba push herself so hard again."  
  
"Yes ma'am." he tried not to be too obvious about hiding his guilty face behind the cool wet towel he'd been rubbing over his face and neck when Takemi arrived.  
  
"How's school going?"  
  
"Better." Now that was an abrupt subject change. He glanced back up at the doctor, who was jotting down notes in his patient chart.  
  
"Those kids still giving you trouble?" As usual, she was careful to keep her tone neutral and pretended not to be interested in the answer.  
  
"No one was bothering me." He sighed, knowing she wouldn't believe him. Why else would he still be fishing for the answer she wanted otherwise? It was a little frustrating to not be believed but at least in this case it was put of good intentions. If something had actually been wrong she'd have made a fierce ally.  
  
"Hmm." She hummed non-noncommittally before looking up from her notes with a half-smile. "You should rest today. Doctor's orders. And don't go pulling more stunts like this--I don't think the old man's heart can take it."  
  
"I'll do my best."  
  
He sent a text off to Haru and then decided another nap was in order.  
  
And for once it seemed things would work out. Akira spent his day lounging around at the Sakura home and occasionally stretching out his sore, overworked muscles. There was nothing in particular strained, just an all-over feeling of having pushed himself too far.  
  
Ann was probably paying zero attention in class between the group message and her running commentary on class just for him.

 

>   
>    
>  Ann: Kawamaki hardly even noticed. She just made some mean comment about not being surprised and moved on.  
>  Ann: You never skip class unless you're sick so what's with the third degree??  
>  Ann: I guess it isn't too surprising since people still give Ryuji the side eye.  
>  Ann: This school, I swear.  
>  Akira:  I heard a rumor that someone even carries their cat around school but no one ever calls her out on it. It's crazy.  
>  Ann: OMG Akira, be nice! Mona gets bored home alone.  
>  Ann: How's Futaba?  
>  Akira: Still asleep but Boss isn't worried.  
> 

 

>   
>   
>  Akira: I'm at the Sakura's, isolated to the couch for the day. I overdid it yesterday and Sojiro wants me to rest just in case. We can reschedule, right?  
>  Haru: Akira! What happened?  
>  Haru: Will you feel well enough for me to visit the cafe tomorrow? The tomatoes are ripe enough for Sakura-san to try.  
>  Akira: That sounds nice.  
>  Haru: It's a date!  
>   
> 

 

 

>   
>  Akira: Are you sure you can't swing by Leblanc? Haru is bringing some of our vegetables from the garden club.  
>  Akechi: Unfortunately I am tied up until next week.  
>    
>  Akechi: Perhaps I can make time on Tuesday.  
>  Akira: Great! :D  
>    
> 

 

* * *

 

It turned out that Futaba was in a semi-comatose state which--oddly enough--Sojiro took in stride.  
  
"It's like she runs out of batteries. Give her a few days and she'll be back to normal." Their guardian said as he shrugged off Akira's questions.

  
Futaba turned up for dinner but was more zombie than human. She fell asleep at the table twice, and only avoided landing face-first in her curry thanks to Akira's quick reflexes. He and Sojiro couldn't get two words out of her and they eventually got her back to her room when it was clear that she would not be eating any more. Before leaving her room Akira stacked up a few of the dirty plates and bowls to bring back to the kitchen.  
  
He and Sojiro worked together to wash the dishes from dinner and Futaba's room.  
  
"What were you kids doing anyway?" Sojiro asked, stealing a quick glance at Akira as he scrubbed.  
  
Akira had been waiting for this question and surprised himself with how fluid his response sounded.  
  
"She wanted to meet my classmates. I think she wanted to prove to herself that she could. And once Futaba gets an idea in her head..." he trailed off with a shrug. Sojiro made a vague noise of agreement and continued to scrub. He shifted as if he wanted to say more but stopped himself at the last second.  
  
"Did it go well?" the man eventually asked.  
  
"I think it did." Akira smiled. "At least until Futaba and I collapsed."  
  
"Do me a favor and warn me next time, yeah?"  
  
"Definitely."  


* * *

  
  
The following day was Sunday. Ideally, Sundays were for relaxing and possibly going out with Haru. Unfortunately term was ending soon and both Akira and Haru knew their time was better spent studying for exams instead enjoying the day at Inokashira park. They set up on one of the cafe's tables with Sojiro's permission with plans of quietly studying for most of the afternoon.  
  
Since Akira left his phone charging upstairs he had no warning before Leblanc was invaded by the Phantom Thieves. He didn't even look up when the bell over the door rang until Haru greeted them.  
  
"Oh, hello, Mako-chan!" Haru smiled brightly, genuinely happy to see her friend. Akira did his best to suppress a grimace but realized he was caught when Haru's eyes briefly flicked over to him and her smile dimmed minutely.  
  
"Welcome to Leblanc." Sojiro greeted from his perch next to the television. "You kids here to study too?"  
  
"We wanted to check in on Akira and Futaba-chan!" Ann informed the man when it became clear that Makoto was too surprised to do more than return Haru's hello. Ann took a seat at the bar with the grace of someone who had done it a hundred times before.  
  
Makoto shook herself a little and then joined Haru in her booth seat. Ryuji flopped down next to Akira and Yusuke opted for another seat at the bar, the one Akechi preferred.  
  
Ann occupied Sojiro with light small talk and Makoto took the opportunity to broach the subject of their true intention. "I don't suppose you have a moment to speak with us, Akira-kun?" her eyes shifted to Haru and back again. "We-uh. That is--Ryuji and Ann had some questions about your year's curriculum and I didn't feel like I was the best equipped to answer. And since you were sick for so long we thought it would be helpful to offer to join your studying."  
  
Ryuji, for his part, nodded naturally to agree with Makoto's story.  
  
Akira opened his mouth to answer but was a beat too slow.  
  
"How generous!" Haru chimed in, clapping her hands together. "But perhaps it would be better if we took our study party upstairs where there's more room. We don't want to disturb any of Sojiro-san's business."  
  
"Yes, of course." Makoto agreed after a brief hesitation.  
  
"Not a bad idea." Sojiro told them. He turned to specifically address Akira. "Don't get too rowdy, got it? I have regulars showing up soon."  
  
Akira nodded quickly, and Sojiro's stern countenance softened. Haru and Akira gathered up their belongings and Akira led the way up to his attic bedroom.  
  
Once they were all settled around the room, Ann and Ryuji poking at some of his possessions on a shelf, Akira introduced the group in case Haru wasn't familiar with all of his stalkers.  
  
"Haru, this is Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke. And Morgana is probably in Ann's bag."  
  
"I'm Haru! It's a pleasure to meet you all." She introduced herself with her usual impeccable manners. "Are you Akira's classmates?"  
  
"Ann is, but the rest of us are just friends. Yusuke don't even go to Shujin." Ryuji answered for them as he looked Haru over curiously. Ann unzipped her bag to let a ruffled Morgana out onto Akira's bed.  
  
"We didn't realize you had company before we decided to visit." Makoto said apologetically. "I'm sure we could come again some other time--"  
  
Ann and Ryuji moved as if to protest but ended up saying nothing. Haru didn't seem to notice and instead waved away Makoto's attempt to politely leave.  
  
"Don't mind me, Mako-chan. You and Akira can talk while I finish my review."  
  
"What's up?" Akira asked, not bothering to hide his smirk while Haru was occupied. If they were here for more phantom thievery shenanigans, they were foiled by the mere presence of Haru.  
  
"I--You seem to be getting along well with your studying without us, perhaps--" Makoto tried again, stammering as she tried to come up with a better excuse to leave early.  
  
"Are you sure? I could always use more study buddies." He goaded, doing his best to keep his tone innocent. It must have been a bit too much, he realized, when Haru's head snapped up from her notebook send him a calculating look.  
  
"It wouldn't hurt for Ann and Ryuji to get some more revising in before next week." Makoto mused, possibly sincere now.  
  
"We didn't--" Ryuji started a vehement protest, then cut himself off abruptly, his cheeks turning pink. All of the thieves cringed as one as Haru's head whipped over to stare at them next. The jig was up.  
  
"Whatever else could you need?" Haru asked Ryuji directly, her interest plain on her face. "Does this have anything to do with the mysterious illness afflicting both Futaba-chan and Akira yesterday?"  
  
"Er--" Ryuji floundered, eyes widening in surprise--or panic. He looked away and murmured something non-committal. Haru on Akira and Makoto next, the challenge in her eyes enough to let Akira know that they would not be getting away with any more lies or half-truths.  
  
The tense moment was interrupted by the arrival of Sojiro, who came up the stairs with a tray of tea and coffee and enough cups for all of Akira's guests. Akira seized the excuse to buy them a moment, busying himself with playing host to the silent room. Haru took hers with aristocratic grace, stirring milk into her cup with two precise strokes of her spoon before setting it aside. She leaned back into the makeshift couch with her cup and closed her eyes as she took a sip.  
  
Akira dared to lower himself back into the seat beside her with his own cup.

"Now then. What is really happening?" She asked, opening her eyes to fix them all to the spot with her critical gaze.  
  
"They helped Futaba." Akira began in an effort to diffuse some tension. "And me."  
  
Surely she would use this as evidence that they weren't so bad and they weren't out to make trouble--  
  
"Does this have to do with stealing hearts?" She questioned lightly. Morgana squawked from his position next to the stairs and Ryuji's jaw fell open in (thankfully mute) shock.  
  
"Yes." Akira saw no reason to lie. All eyes in the room turned to him, several filled with betrayal. "She already figured it out." he shrugged in his own defense.  
  
This, apparently, was all Haru needed to hear to relax a little. "So did it work? Did you steal Futaba-chan's heart?"  
  
"We're still waiting for her to wake up." Makoto answered slowly, sitting down on the edge of Akira's bed. "Were we that obvious?"  
  
"You were quite overt in your investigation of Akira. I wasn't certain until just now, but isn't Yusuke the formal pupil of the artist Madarame?"  
  
Yusuke nodded in confirmation. "Indeed. And the Phantom Thieves helped me as well."  
  
"And now you are one of them..." Haru mused, then addressed Makoto again. "Are you not worried about arousing suspicion? Shujin students who are suddenly close friends with someone closely associated with a victim of the Phantom Thieves. Especially as Akechi-kun is a frequent visitor to Leblanc."  
  
It seemed that Haru was more likely to lecture the thieves for their carelessness rather than turn them in.  
  
"We thought he was bluffing." Ann answered, horror in her quiet reply. "Does Akechi come to Leblanc that often?"  
  
Akira nodded and shrugged. "Not so much the last couple of weeks but he was definitely here that day I found you outside the Sakuras' home."  
  
"We didn't show up together until today." Makoto reminded them, sure of herself. "And we would have seen him through the door before we entered."  
  
Haru nodded thoughtfully but Akira could tell she wasn't completely convinced.  
  
"What were you going to ask?" Akira interrupted before he had time to think too long about the disaster that would have been.  
  
"There's a deadline coming up for one of our...missions. We could use another pair of hands." Makoto layed out simply. Akira let the statement sink in instead of refusing out of reflex.  
  
"What happens if you miss the deadline?" He asked carefully, playing a game of devil's advocate. Yusuke folded his arms across his chest as he stared at Akira, but answered for the group in a neutral tone.  
  
"A powerful crime lord in Shubuya is blackmailing us into paying him a ludicrous sum of three million yen before this coming Saturday. I shudder to think what he will do when it becomes clear that we can not pay."  
  
Akira felt a chill run down his spine, thinking of the day he'd intervened with Ann in Shinjuku.  
  
"So your options seem to be to either pay him or to steal his heart." Haru mused after a short silence. "Paying him would mean acquiescing to his demands--assuming he keeps his word. But it could also buy more time. What is it that you wis"  
  
The thieves exchanged wild-eyed looks while Akira watched the scene play out with rapt interest as Haru negotiated on his behalf.  
  
"We have need of another person with a very particular set of skills." Makoto hedged vaguely, tucking her hair behind her ear--possibly a nervous habit. "Our current project has proven to be quite formidable and an extra person on our team will be the difference between victory and defeat."  
  
"We're getting our asses handed to us and we're running outta time." Ryuji simplified, stuffing his hands into his pockets sullenly.  
  
Haru's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What type of work does this this assistance require?" She precisely enunciated each word, exaggerating her usual diction. It seemed as if she had deduced--or at least strongly suspected--exactly what kind of help was being requested.  
  
Akira glanced towards the stairs and was only mildly surprised to find Morgana keeping watch for them as he oh-so-casually groomed his face.  
  
"It's sort of--well. Fighting." Akira kept his voice low just in case. "But--not the usual kind!" he quickly backpedaled at her alarm.  
  
"Is this the help you demand for your assistance with Futaba-chan?" She primly asked the room, her expression just a shade softer than a glare.  
  
As one, everyone rushed to correct her suspicion.  
"No! No--"  
"We ain't like that!"  
"There was no condition implied or--"  
  
Akira frantically waved a hand at the noise and they cut themselves off. They held still while Morgana peeked down the stairs to confirm that the outburst hadn't affected the cafe.  
  
"This isn't a quid-pro-quo exchange." Makoto assured Haru, sounding hurt. "We are here only as friends requesting assistance. We know Akira's situation is--" She cringed and started again. "We wouldn't ask unless the situation was dire. It's highly unlikely that anyone will be able to detect his involvement."  
  
Haru sipped her drink again and considered the thieves. Akira knew what her answer was, obviously, and agreed. He was content to let her ask questions to her heart's content. And if she made them sweat a little? _That_ was just for fun.  
  
"Plan B," Haru informed them, "Will be to buy you more time, quite literally. My trust fund has more than enough to cover the debt." More than one of them jolted in surprise, but she ignored them to continue. "As for plan A...Akira must agree to place himself in danger of his own free will."  
  
She turned warm brown eyes to Akira, who couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.  
  
"Leave it to me." he smiled back weakly, and felt the tension in the air relax.  
  
"When do we begin?" Haru asked, her eyes shining with determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to the first beta this story has ever had! Thanks XeonKhan!


End file.
